


The Headless Swamp

by Caroaimezoe



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Blood Kink, Decapitation, Doppelganger, Evil, Ghosts, Hallucinations, M/M, Murder, Paranoia, Paranormal, Possession, Serial Killers, Spooky gift, TMNT Spooky Gift Exchange 2020, Turtlecest (TMNT), Yôkai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:07:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 44,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26595751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caroaimezoe/pseuds/Caroaimezoe
Summary: Casey just bought himself a bar, but is he the owner?
Relationships: Donatello/Leonardo (TMNT)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 47
Collections: Everybody wants Leo week -2018-2019-2020, Tmnt Spooky Gift Exchange 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the spooky gift for Kitsune1818. Her prompt was: Leo seeing ghosts.

* * *

“Really, Case? It’s awesome, man!” Raph’s relatively cheerful voice sounded a little too loud in the silent lair. “Of course, we’ll help! I’ll tell the others!” Raphael covered the phone with his hand and shouted from the kitchen to the turtle slumped on the couch. “Mikey! Guess what? Casey’s an honorable working man now! He got himself a bar!”

“A bar?” Mikey replied, not even bothering to glance up from the comic book he was glossing over. It took a moment for the information to sink in the younger turtle’s mind. “Oh, are you excited because of the booze?”

“Well, geez, don’t be so enthusiastic!” Raph muttered lowly before returning to his call. “Yeah, yeah, Case. My bros and I will be there to help. Well, Mikey will, at least.” His voice remained heavy with intent as he glared at an unbothered Mikey, “We're gonna be there as soon as it’s dark enough outside. What’s it called?” The turtle snatched a pencil and notepad from a kitchen drawer and tossed them onto the counter. “The Headless swamp?” He repeated, slightly stunned at the unique name. Meanwhile, Mikey perked up from the couch. The younger turtle couldn’t help but feel somewhat allured by (from his standards) the badass title. “What a creepy-ass name!” Raph continued, “Okay, okay, I’m writing down the address. There’s a sewer plate just in the alley behind it? Perfect! We will call it the VIP entrance! Yeah, yeah, we’ll bring a flashlight.”

Raph hung up and glanced down at the paper, lost in his thoughts. April had finally managed to convince Casey to get a normal, decently paid job; he didn’t know all of the extents of how it happened, but somehow, Casey was now the proud owner of a bar. How Casey managed to get the cash down was a mystery, but Raph supposed it had been very cheap. Casey had confirmed the place was abandoned for years. It was the reason for his call: in addition to telling the news to Raph, Casey needed help. He was hoping to open it in one week or so, but the place needed to be cleaned and renovated. And Casey didn’t explicitly request anything, but he had mentioned something about “a techno and security upgrade.” Meaning Casey wanted Don’s help but was too much of a proud son of a bitch to ask for it openly. 

But Raph would make sure Don tagged along. And he’d probably bring Leo along too… just for good measure. Though the fact of the matter was that Casey’s request was very timely; since Master Splinter’s demise two months ago, the lair and it’s residents weren’t the same. 

It was an expected death at a respectable age according to Donatello. Their Sensei was long in the tooth, so much so that he didn’t even remember his age anymore. In his last moments, he was almost entirely blind. He had tried to hide this fact, probably not to worry them, though it was quite a foolish decision when someone as observant as Donatello was his son. And, well, the thirty or so pounds lost in a few months was a tremendous give away that something was wrong.

He was in such poor condition that Donatello gave him ‘vitamins’, with a carefully constructed expression of marginal concern. Donatello knew there were no vitamins against the greedy hands of time or the sharp jaws of cancer he was sure Master Splinter was suffering from, but morphine could help calm his pain. Donnie couldn’t tell him the truth or insist too much without his father denying his help or his brothers’ worry increasing a hundredfold. So he kept the knowledge to himself. Thankfully for him, his brothers had been too scared to press the matter. Leo finally asked if there was something else to do and Don had told that with their situation-he meant without a real hospital-there was nothing to do than wait and hope it won’t be too long, for Master Splinter to not suffer too much. Donatello had beat himself up about it, but they had no money to order some real equipment and have a sterile room.

In all honesty, their Sensei’s death had been a relief, because the sight of their dear father’s suffering was excruciatingly draining to bare. It was like his pain had echoed into them; the ache had cut deep into their bones and rumbled all throughout their body and minds. They weren’t children anymore, either. Leo was twenty-one, Don and Raph twenty, and Mikey just barely nineteen. In fact, Mikey had only been nineteen for six weeks before their sensei’s death. They, of course, knew of death and how to push past its painful grip to take care of themselves and each other. But even if they had spent a long time expecting and preparing for it, the pain still struck deep.

Then came the mourning period. They had yet to overcome the grief. Raphael knew grieving was normal and there was no specific timeframe for when it would be over. Mourning Master Splinter for a few months wasn’t unhealthy, and everyone has their own coping mechanism. He had chosen to cope by drinking more often and maybe bashing more skulls than necessary… with Casey’s company, of course. Maybe it was the reason that Raph felt more ready to move on than his brothers. He had the chance to distract himself with a friend.

Mikey could’ve been alright too, but it was hard to remain normal with what happened between Don and Leo. Raph scowled at the thought of them. Leo was having more trouble coping. It was to be expected; he had been the closest to Master Splinter. But in his mourning, Leonardo behaved unfairly; without telling him outright, he seemingly blamed Don for Master Splinter's death or well, it was how Don felt it aparently. It weighed on Donnie’s mind, accompanied by Leo’s gloomy attitude, Don was taking it amongst himself to care for their leader. No longer did he engross himself in his projects. Even so, Leo remained cold and unreachable. They barely see him anywhere outside the Dojo.

Every day, Leonardo had a routine: He woke up as early as he did before and had tea in his father’s bedroom instead of the kitchen. At first, they had let Leo do as he wished without any further question, but Mikey had confirmed that Leo was ‘talking’ with their father. Donatello said it was a rational expression of the mourning process and to let Leo be, but Raph had felt something was off.

After tea, Leo started training early, then supervised his brothers during their group training sessions. Their leader was much more demanding than before, but they had to presume that since Leo had more responsibilities; he wanted to fulfill them and live up to his father’s expectations.

After training, Leo returned to Master Splinter’s room, probably to discuss their training and the never-ending problem of Mikey’s lack of focus. Then he’d meditate in his own room. It was there that Don tried to make Leo “express his feelings.” It was taking hours and by the expression Don held each day, it wasn’t working. From this, Donatello had also changed. He always seemed distracted. Probably because his mind was occupied from wondering how Leo was doing. His concern ran deep to the point where nothing outside his mind mattered. 

Of course, Raph and Mikey could relate as they were worried too. But it left them idle. It’s been too long since they’d felt like a family- like a team again. Except for him, no one had headed topside in two months. Casey’s bar opening was probably an excellent opportunity for that.

“Casey bought a bar and wants to open it next week. But there’s a lot to do. He needs our help to clean n’ move stuff. Also, he needs Don’s technical help. I mean, this place has been closed since 1982!”

Mikey’s face shifted, and Raph’s heart warmed at this sight. It’s been a while since Mikey didn’t tease him.

“1982? I need to wear my Jane Fonda fitness outfit,” he said carefreely, before realizing something. “And you are actually looking forward to going there?” Mikey smirked. “Don’t act all clingy and call your mommy when you see cobwebs bigger than your shell.”

Raph kept an unbothered front even if he was cringing internally.

“Go tell Donnie he needs to gather his tools. I bet he’ll be hella thrilled to hang with April,” he snorted in derision. Don’s crush on April was a source of endless teasing between the Hamato’s brothers. “And tell Fearless we’re going topside because our friend and ally needs help,” Raph exclaimed and, eagerly, Mikey rushed to the eldest’s room.

Finally, they’ll have something to do. Mikey might have loved Master Splinter and still miss him, but the mourning was getting old and depressing. He was about to knock at the door when he heard Don’s voice. Well, while it was surely Donatello’s voice, his tone was very different than the one he used normally. Much huskier.

“Are you feeling good? Do you like it?”

The only reply Donnie received was a long moan, making Mikey freeze in his tracks. What the hell was happening? His heart raced and with burning cheeks, Mikey gingerly cracked the door open an inch, just wide enough to peek inside. What he saw made him gasp in shock.

Donnie and Leo were kissing like no tomorrow. Mikey couldn’t bring himself to take his eyes off of them. He didn’t need to ask the leader if it was consensual, since he was clutching at Don like a lifeline. Mikey could tell Don wasn’t complaining. In fact, by how he pressed Leo against him, it was like he wasn’t even enough for him. Didn’t Don have the hots for April? Their redhead friend seemed miles away from the genius mind right now. He swallowed down a nervous giggle.

Fuck, where’d they learned to kiss like that? Mikey wouldn’t have ever bet they have this in them. Then came a peculiar sound, making Mikey glance down to be greeted by Leo’s spread legs and his purple length in Don’s hand. He could only mouth “Holy Shit” while carefully stepping back. 

He continued to walk backward until he reached the end of the corridor. Then, when he felt he was far enough, he dashed off to find Raph. His brother wasn’t in the kitchen anymore, though, by the clicking noise of weight, he could tell Raph was doing his reps in the Dojo.

“Raph! Raph!” he cried in the lowest voice he could manage. Mikey had no idea how he felt about this, but something in him was happy about it. “Guess what!” he exclaimed eagerly, kneeling next to Raph’s bench press. 

Mikey’s face was so beaming that Raph felt it was worthy to stop his reps.

“What?” he asked. “They said they’ll come? Even Don?”

Mikey chuckled. It was awkward but so exciting. 

“I didn’t have the time to ask…”

Mikey then explained what he had walked on in very graphic detail. Raph could only stare, his mouth gaping in disbelief. 

“Da’ fuck,” he finally managed to say. “I don’t believe ya’.”

But Raph was already storming out of the Dojo and Mikey hurried to follow, hoping Raph wouldn’t dare spoil Leo and Don’s moment. He hoped that in the last five minutes, Leo had the time to blow his load.

Even if he knew it was useless to hope for, Mikey wished Raph would have enough sense to be delicate. Unfortunately, this hope was short-lived when Raph kicked Leo’s door open.

“What’s the fuck is happening?” Raph shouted.

Mikey felt incredibly bad for them; he didn’t even want to look at their faces. Don and Leo weren’t doing anything bad. It was obviously consensual.

“Raph!” Leo yelped angrily. 

“Don’t tell me shit about how beating Leo’s monkey is helping with him coping!” Raph roared and Mikey, despite his empathic cringing for his brothers getting caught red-handed because of him, was surprised. Raph blamed Donnie? He figured it would be more Leo that would be yelled at. “How dare you make a move when he’s in such a weak state?”

“I’m not weak,” Leo snapped. “Stop yelling at Donnie right now!”

“It's helping, actually. Physical pleasure is well-known to help with depression by releasing endorphins,” Don murmured quietly as Mikey dared to peek inside the room. Thank God for them, they probably had time to finish. “But that’s not the reason I’m doing… uh, this,” Don calmly continued as he gestured to himself and Leo. “I love him and he loves me. And we want to... explore... this new aspect of our relationship. I don’t think it’s any of your concern, since it’s consensual.”

It wasn’t at all like Don to speak before Leo did, neither was talking back that sharply to an angry Raph, but it wasn’t at all the most shocking. The L word was. Since when they were in love, Mikey wanted to ask. How did all of this happen out of their little brother’s radar? Leo was still acting so withdrawn the day before! But Don seemed so damn sure of himself and by what Mikey had witnessed earlier, he could tell there was indeed something going on. But what was Raph’s beef? It wasn’t like Don or Leo could harm each other, right?

“What we do in my room is nothing of your concern,” Leo piped back up, a little taken aback about Don’s retort. “We’re still trying to figure out our feelings. We’ll talk about it when we’re ready.”

It was obvious by his expression that Raph hadn’t expected this. His anger dimmed. He probably realized that since both of them were okay with it, his opinion wasn’t mattering, but Mikey still felt something bitter lingering at the surface. Raph had acted as he was jealous, but of who?

“If you have the time to play tonsil hockey, you have the time to help my friend!” Raph exclaimed, a little embarrassed and also taken aback. He then explained Casey’s situation and at the end of it, folded his arms in such a way that Leo and Don had no right to refuse him this favor. 

“Okay…” Leo was the first to surrender. “Indeed, this is a huge step in Casey’s and April’s life. He’ll need the help.” He was already standing up, still a little flustered of what had just happened. Maybe it was the reason he was so eager to leave his room. But Don was less enthusiastic. Did he want to stay alone with the leader or was it just because he hated Casey... who knows?

“Are you sure April agreed to this?” Don asked, folding his arms. “I mean, buying a bar is a financial risk and I know her. I don’t think it was what she had in mind when she said she wanted Casey to find a job! Moreover, it’s a building that was abandoned for almost 40 years.”

“Are you accusing my buddy of playing in her back?” Raph growled. “You sure have nerves today, egghead.”

“Raphael!” Leo barked before turning to his other brother. “Don, I’m the leader and I say we are going.” Leo seemed displeased by them both. A flash of hurt shone in Donnie’s brown eyes briefly. “It’s probably too late for Casey to withdraw and I understand you’re not exactly his number one fan, but as Raph said, I doubt he went that far without April’s approval. If you’re worried, you can come and talk to her about it.” 

Even if Donatello wasn’t eager, he rose up.

“Let me gather my tools,” he sighed. 

****

When Don had approached him, Leo had been dubious. But his brother had been very sweet in his confession. He had said he had wanted to tell Leo about his feelings long ago, but their father’s sickness and eventual death had put the matter on the backburner. He had then wanted to respect the mourning period, but now seeing that Leo was feeling so down, since so long, he wanted to make him feel better in the way he had long longed for. Leo couldn’t deny feeling the same. Soon after, they had found themselves starting to experiment. 

Don had taken the lead and Leo had let his brother be; after all, Don always knew what he was doing. He must have studied it being that it was never anything too drastic. Furthermore, it was in Don’s nature to be caring, and the leader felt his brother had a deep need to make him feel good. Indeed, it had felt good and… maybe a little unnerving to let himself go for once. He trusted Donnie with his life and to be the one spoiled was a refreshing change, even more after how grim and gloomy everything had been the last months. But to have gotten walked in on so soon and face Raph’s loud disapproval had been an icy shower. He guessed Mikey had been the one walking in on them first. He glanced at his youngest brother; Mikey didn’t seem too disturbed. He was more concerned if anything. Maybe Raph wasn’t disapproving, Leo tried to convince himself. He had only been shocked and well, Leo couldn’t tell him off for that. 

They were walking in the sewers for about one hour before reaching the area around Casey’s new bar. Don had been moody and silent. His brother was obviously upset Leo sided with Raph, but the fact was that Raph was right; Casey had bought an old, abandoned bar. Don was right about it not being the best idea, but well, it suited Casey’s personality and there was no use crying over spilled milk. If it didn’t work, the best Casey could do was to sell it again. But Casey had more chances of not completely wiping his bank account clean if Don accepted his request for help. Leo could understand Donnie wasn’t happy about being the one to work for Casey, but well, they would all work despite everything. And besides, Don had only to think it was for April he was doing it, since Don liked April so much, Leo thought with a frown.

He chased away the thought. Leo was just glad to have something to do. Patrolling without having to report to his father afterward was too depressing. He wasn't ready for it yet. But he hadn’t slacked on training. Even if the training was a great way to busy the mind and the body, Leo was eager to feel useful again. He probably couldn’t give as much precious help as Donnie, but he could help with the cleaning. 

“I can’t wait to see how it looks,” Mikey chattered on to make up for Donnie’s silence as he walked next to the leader. The genius was the one walking at the front, holding the GPS. Raph was behind him, holding Don’s bag. It was the least he could do to be sure Donnie would collaborate. “I’ve always wanted to have my own restaurant.”

“It won’t be yours, knucklehead,” Raph snickered without turning his head. “It’s Casey’s. Don’t get too excited!”

Mikey walked faster, tugging Raph’s hand excitedly.

“But think about it, Raph! Casey hasn’t got a single artistic bone in his body! That means the whole place would be mine to make awesome! Tourists will get on the bus just to take pictures! And- oh! What about the menu!?” Mikey stopped walking in his amazement and Leo gave him a slight shove to make him walk again. “Casey knows not the first thing about fancy food!”

“Casey doesn’t know about many things, like management, for example,” Don mumbled. But no one paid him attention. Donatello’s distaste for Casey didn’t need any fuel. 

“Maybe he could hire me! Nobody would see me in the kitchen!” Mikey turned toward Leo, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement, “Can I have a job?”

Leo chuckled in front of such a display of enthusiasm. “Mikey, Raph’s right, y’know. This isn’t our place. We’re here to help and that’s all.”

“Because of course, we’re cheap labor, even cheaper than what you can find in Asian sweat shop. It’s so convenient to have mutants as friends. While you all clean the whole place like good maids, I’ll have to do the job of ten tech guys for free,” Don bitched, “Furthermore if the building had not been used for 40 years, the first and most important question is whether the water had been shut off to the place. If water ever froze in the pipes, I have months of work cut out for me. If the pipes froze, they would leak afterward. If the pipes leak, there’s probably mold or maybe even strange fungi growing.” He sighed, his annoyance obvious. It wasn’t that he disliked work, it was for who and in which circumstance. “We’re there,” Donnie said, motioning for Raph to climb the ladder.

“Come on Donnie, don’t be pissy,” Mikey stretched his arm over Don’s shoulder. “I’m sure our leader would find a way to reward you for your labor,” he teased.

Leo’s cheeks heated up as he glanced up to Raph who was already lifting the sewer plate. Don didn’t reply, but he took a step back to let Mikey climb first. 

“D’you want me to go first because you want some alone time?” Mikey giggled, “Or do you want to be sure Leo doesn't go first and I get a nice view of his ass?”

“Michelangelo!”

Their leader was livid and Don had paled. Mikey quickly hopped onto the ladder, laughing, and even if Leo should be relieved Mikey wasn’t disturbed about him and his brother making out, he didn’t want to be laughed at. He gazed at Don, who sighed.

“I get it. You were right. I moved too fast...let’s…” Don averted his eyes. He was obviously upset and Leo stretched his arm to squeeze his brother’s hand for a moment. Donnie wanted to call it quits, proposing to return to be mere brothers, but it wasn’t what Leo wanted to do. In the last weeks, Don has been very supportive and caring. Well, he always had been, being that he was their medic, but as of late, Leonardo had started to notice Donnie’s sweet yet stubborn attitude into making him smile. It was beyond the care of a brother. He knew he wasn’t the only one grieving their father, and still, Donatello was at his side. He wasn’t cutting off their brothers like Leo had, but Donnie was definitely acting differently around him. At first, Leonardo had thought Don was acting that way because he feared Leo was depressed. But when Don had explained his behavior with such sincere words, Leo realized that love had never crossed his mind in the past and the thought of experimenting with it was exciting. Having a caring and trust-worthy partner was a blessing in their situation. But Leo had spoken about his concerns: their brothers. Would they approve of their relationship? Would they think it’s gross? Who would they tell?

They had agreed to take baby-steps. Unfortunately, the day they decided to be more “physical” they had been caught. But the time it had lasted, it had felt so good, so right! Leo’s stomach was swarming with butterflies the whole time. He wanted the experience to last forever; he felt so safe in Donnie’s arms. And the way Donnie’s lips melded against his own was intoxicating, to say the least.

“Let's talk about it later... or maybe tomorrow,” Leonardo suggested, his voice soft and tender. “Next time we’re alone, alright?” He added as his palm slipped out of Donnie’s grip. Meanwhile, Mikey had just made it topside. Following the smallest turtles chuckles that echoed into the sewers, Raphael bitterly shushed him. “...Admitting we survive Raph’s outbursts and Mikey’s teasing.” Leo sighed.

Don nodded hesitantly, probably expecting the leader to end their budding relationship, and began climbing the ladder. Leo followed, his heart racing faster at the idea of what he and his brother would have to discuss later on, but Mikey’s disappointed interjection cut his thoughts short.

“This is your bar, dude?!” Mikey exclaimed. “I mean...this?” The youngest sounded like a child who’d just learned Santa Claus wasn’t real. The term ‘disappointment’ was probably an understatement.

“Ugh, well, it’s not that bad,” Raph mumbled cautiously, hoping to spare his friend's feeling.

Don was now emerging from the sewer hole in a hurry. He was obviously eager to point out the terrible deal Casey made. Leo’s expression suddenly darkened; for the last five years- actually, since they met her, Donatello was teased about his crush on April. Even Leo taunted him about it, so it was pretty much just accepted fact in the Hamato family. But… Don had told him he had been in love with him since he was sixteen years old, meaning he’d fallen for Leo after they’d met April. Donatello had also said that he wanted to commit his life to Leo and be his support. He never mentioned April, but if Don wasn’t into her, why did he still hate Casey so much? Why was he overthinking Don’s honesty?

“The front side is better,” Casey protested. “This is the back door! No customers are going to see it anyway!”

Leo heard Don’s mocking snort the moment he’s popped his head out from the sewer hole. Indeed, they didn’t have a great view from the back alley, but the building was old, not a refined polished old of some NYC golden age building. The kind of old with decaying wooden planks covering the single window. It was dark and narrow and, without offense to Master Splinter, probably a rodent nest. 

“I’m sure it has these vintage vibes inside…'' Casey continued, trying to sound encouraging. Unfortunately, he was only met with shocked gasps.

“You mean… you bought it without even going inside?” Leo uttered in disbelief. Even Raph was staring at Casey with wide eyes.

“I saw the pictures on the real estate agent website,” Casey defended himself. “And April saw them too!” he exclaimed, spinning toward the genius. “She approved it! What are you gonna say to that, hm?”

Don raised an unimpressed eye ridge. 

“Why are you glaring at me? I’m here, right?” Don replied flatly. “But fair warning, I had no intention of pulling an all-nighter.” His gaze flickered to Leo's for a heartbeat. “I have better things to do.”

Raphael huffed and Mikey giggled nervously. Leo kept his attention on Casey, despite his uneasiness. He wanted to be sure the human didn’t turn curious. The leader knew Don was probably referring to speaking with him. Or maybe he just meant it generally because, for Don, even sorting his screwdrivers was more important than helping Casey Jones. But of course, Raph and Mikey would interpret such a look as something a little more… lewd. Mikey was shamelessly grinning.

Though, Casey was too busy attempting to open the door to ponder about Don’s words. It took about two or three pushes until he managed to open it. Casey and Raph with a few steps between each other and shone the flashlight inside. From his spot, Leo could barely see the bar or even Casey’s face. But by how frozen he and Raph were, Leo guessed it was bad.

“Holy Shit,” Mikey mumbled, in a significantly less enthusiastic tone than when he wanted to use the bar as his creative playground.

Don did the same math and pushed them on the side, eagerly lightening the place with his own flashlight. He put his hand on his hips with a victorious “Ha”. “For once, I actually prefer to be the tech guy!”

Leo scanned around to be sure no one was spying on them. Suddenly, a terrible feeling settled in his stomach; we’re there any Foot or enemies close? His fingers grazed the hilts of his katana as he stepped in the bar. Only then did he understand Donnie’s glee.

To say the bar had seen better days was an understatement. It looked grimmer and abandoned than Leo thought was possible. The floor was covered in debris and making their way through the clutter seemed nearly impossible: broken chairs and tables, glass shards, dust, old papers of many origins, more glass, and other indescribable remnants of what once was the furniture of the place. On the bar itself laid more broken glass and empty bottles, all of which were coated in dust. The shelves had been emptied out, making room for cobwebs. And he spilled ashtrays probably didn't help with the amount of dust everywhere. Both the counters and wooden floor were littered in crevices under the thick coat of dust. Leo couldn’t tell if the natural light could be nice even if it was daytime since all the windows from the front were covered in planks too. It wasn’t a job one human and four turtles could do in a night with 0 money. They did have a week, but Leo knew it wouldn’t be enough. A whole month wouldn’t be.

They were all silent as Leo discreetly glanced at Casey. 

“Does the picture you saw look like this?” Leo asked. 

Casey ran his hand through his hair.

“Well, it’s looked a little less messy.” Casey seemed genuinely troubled by the state of the place. “Just kinda dusty, and that’s all.”

Leo nodded while wondering to himself that if he was only half surprised by Casey’s reckless decision to have bought this place, how the hell did April say yes? He figured the price must have been very low. Even cheap, Leo didn’t need a class in renovation to know what this place was: a money pit. Raph seemed to have gotten to the same conclusion.

“Dusty? Are you kidding, Case?” Raph barked. It was a rare sight to see Raph not siding with his best buddy. “You shouldn't have called us, you should have called three Got Junk trucks and the camera crew from that one show about hoarders!”

“Okay, so April will be here in twenty minutes or so,” Casey exclaimed with a nervous grin, refusing to reply to Raph directly. “How about we start now? You know, so it looks more welcoming.”

Raph covered his face a moment, ashamed, not wanting to see Don’s ‘I-told-you-so’ face. If anything, what April saw wasn’t very accurate of the reality. And even if Casey could be brave and a loyal friend to Raph, he wasn’t organized a slight bit. Leo had to take the lead and dispatch them to spare April the shock that could lead to the end of her relationship with Casey.

“I think the first thing to do is pick up the glass shards,” the leader sighed. “Mikey, you can assist me with cleaning the floor. Shine your light on me until Don gets the power back on. Then we’ll move onto the bar counter. Raph and Casey, get rid of the broken furniture that isn’t salvageable. Donnie…” The genius glanced up, obviously annoyed that they got into this mess, that April got fooled and that Leo had to step in because Casey didn't have an ounce of leadership in his body. And though Don was very likely to work many nights for someone he could barely stand, he was ready to follow Leo’s directives. “You’ll probably need to set up an independent generator and check the water pipe. To be efficient, we’ll need full electricity.” Leo looked around again. It looked like a war zone. “This is the first step we’re taking tonight; this place must be safe.”

They all nodded and Leo seized a broom and a dustpan that was resting on the counter. Thank god there were two of them. His brothers started to active themselves and Don took his bag. Before leaving the main room he went to Leo.

“I’m going to look for the circuit breaker if you need me,” he murmured softly.

Leonardo nodded, relieved no one commented. Raph didn’t hear it apparently. He was far too busy pestering Casey about his bar name.

“You need to change it, man,” Raph insisted. “The Headless Swamp doesn’t sound welcoming in the slightest.” He seemed antsy and Leo supposed it was because of the very high probability the place was filled with cockroaches.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan…” Cased replied confidently.

Don rolled his eyes and, uninterested in listening to Casey’s plan, headed to the back store after a last heart-warming look at the leader. 

To hide his blush, Leonardo bent over with the dustpan to pick the biggest shards. He chastised himself; why was he so shy and self-conscious over such a small thing?

They were working the best they could (given the conditions) when the light above them flickered. A feeling of pride in his brother warmed Leo’s chest; in less than fifteen minutes, Don had already managed to provide them with power.

‘Now it’ll look a bit less repellent for when April arrives,’ Leo thought, but after a second glance, he realized that having the light was only revealing more grime and muck. In addition to the dust, there was a thick patina of nicotine smoke on the walls and ceiling. And as if on cue, a rat scuttled across the floor right in front of Leo.

Before the leader even had a chance to really drink in his surroundings, he felt a tingle in his neck and, out of instinct, turned his head. His eyes landed on what he initially thought was a shadow. At first, he didn’t quite believe what he was seeing; a still, peculiar woman standing in the middle of the bar. Once he confirmed that he indeed, hadn’t begun hallucinating from inhaling massive amounts of dust, his jaw dropped in astonishment as he looked around to be sure his brothers weren’t in danger. How did this woman enter? By the front door? Wasn’t the front entrance closed off?

She didn’t seem at all surprised by their presence, or rather their aspect. She just... stared at Leo with a blank look, completely unmoving. ‘Maybe she’s in shock!’ was Leo’s first thought. Though the thought completely faltered as soon as she started moving toward him. Her way of walking was weightless and disjointed. Like an uncanny dance. An icy sensation of dread flooded his mind as he placed his fingers on the hilt of a katana and opened his mouth to order the woman not to move.

“Hey Leo, you alright, bro?” Mikey asked, breaking Leo’s eye contact with the woman, and just like that, she was gone. “You were spacing out! It’s not like you to slack on the job!” He smirked. “Daydreaming about your crush, are you?”

“I’m not!” Leo snapped, flushed with anger. “There was a woman, there!” he exclaimed, pointing to the bar. Both Raph and Casey perked up as they heard the powerful voice of the leader.

“A woman? Where?” Casey asked, confused.

“Fearless, are you that lonely that you’re seeing invisible chicks?” Raphael jeered. “It’s still saner than lusting after Donnie-boy.”

Leo’s confusion turned to anger. He could sense danger and his brothers could only… poke him with rude remarks about Donatello?!

“Stop with that already,” he hissed. “I’m not joking. I saw someone.” He thought back at the apparition and again, a weird feeling of anguish filled his body. “Are you not feeling . . . weirded out or . . . o-or in danger at all?” He began to trip over his words, which gained a concerned glance from his brothers, who now realized he was serious. Leo always spoke confidently; he never stuttered or hesitated.

“What’d she looked like, dude?” Mikey piped up, “I see no one.”

Leo pondered for a moment, then frowned when he realized he’d forgotten her face the moment he looked away. He wanted to believe he’d only forgotten because he just wasn’t focused on that at the time but… a smaller part of him knew that wasn’t the case.

“Forget it,” Leo muttered. If the only thing he could say was that the woman looked uncanny, they would surely mock him and Leo was done with mockery for the day. 

He decided to focus on his task but remained aware of his surroundings. The feeling of uneasiness was practically fixed to his bones, but obviously, there was nothing. The others hadn’t seen a thing and he concluded that there probably just wasn’t any woman and, besides, how could a woman enter the bar unnoticed then fade into thin air?

Maybe he was just tired. He hasn't slept well for the past few weeks and since Don's confession, he hasn’t slept neither eaten a lot. 

Whatever he tried to do, finding excuses, and trying to belittle the incident, he couldn't shake off his anxiety. A want- no, a need to see his genius brother overtook him. What if he was in danger?

"Leo, do you intend to stare intensely at the dust and shards until they melt or what?" Mikey chuckled. 

Leo realized he was lost in his thoughts and kicked himself out of it. In front of him, there was a heap of shards and dust waiting to be swept away. But something seemed… off. He had no idea what initiated it, but for a split second, he thought he saw words of some sort, gently drawn into the dust with a non-existent finger. Cold sweat ran down his neck, but before he could shout to his brothers to look, Mikey swept the heap into the dustpan. 

“I need to see Donnie,” Leo stated in a dull voice. As his own line of sight was met with Raph’s heated look, he felt forced to add: “I’m not feeling well.”

The thought of Leo actually admitting he felt unwell made Raph swallow any smart-ass comment he was about to make.

“No problem, big bro, I got this!” Mikey said with a bright smile, even if chores of any kind was something he tried to avoid usually. 

Leonardo ambled toward the back store and opened the door, very conscious of his brother’s inquisitive gaze on him. 

“Don?” he called, trying to sound casual despite his pounding heart. “Donnie?” he said a little louder. The back store was even creepier. His hand fumbled the walls, looking for the switch in the dark.

“I’m here!” Don popped his head out from the corner he was hidden, holding a flashlight, before realizing he could just turn on the switch himself now that the power was on. Sometimes, Don surprised himself with how airheaded he could be despite his high intelligence. Something in Leo’s expression must have given him away because Donatello suddenly looked deeply concerned. “What’s the matter, Leo? Did something happen?” 

Leo hesitated and Donatello’s expression turned sour. “They teased you again?” He let out a long sigh. “I don’t want our love being a strain for you and for our family. I should have just kept it to myself.”

Leo shook his head.

“This isn’t about that,” he exclaimed, struggling to search his words. Donatello was the more sensible, rational person he knew, so he was probably even more likely to brush Leo’s discomfort away. But... he trusted Don. And Leo decided that if they were going to be into a relationship, they needed to be fully honest with each other. 

So he explained what happened, his eyes downcast in his embarrassment. It felt so silly. He was the leader, even more, the fearless one, according to Raph. Why was he so upset over this? If Raph knew how shaken he was right now, Leo would never hear the end of it. 

To his relief, Don listened to the whole story with attention and when Leo finished, he didn’t laugh.

“Am I crazy or what?”Leo asked anxiously. If someone could give him a proper rational answer, it was Donatello. “I'm positive about what I had seen, but from another side, I know it makes no sense.”

Don seemed in deep thought and the leader guessed Donnie was probably looking for an answer that could both satisfy science and Leo’s ego. 

“I don’t doubt your story, Leo. We all know that overreacting isn’t like you,” Don started gravely. “Since I wasn’t there, it’s even harder for me to give you an explanation. Stay with me a few minutes, I just want to finish up this breaker and you can show me exactly where you were and where this woman was. Then, I’ll try to understand what might’ve happened,” he concluded with a warm smile. “I won’t tell the others if you don’t want me to, but I doubt they’ll judge you.”

A wave of relief and well-being flooded Leo. Don believing him and wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery was exhilarating. To do anything without thinking twice rarely happened to the leader, but this time, he couldn’t help it. He crushed his lips on Don’s. Nothing was more comforting than tasting and indulging in their warmness of his brother’s lips. It wasn't long before the kiss turned more heated. Leo squeezed his thighs together as his brother’s tongue swirled around his own; it was still such a new and exciting taste, being that they’d just barely begun dating and even so, it wasn’t official. The world around him dissolved with every kiss he received from Donnie and soon, the only thing that mattered was the way he was desperately trying to press closer to the other in adoration of his presence. Though, the world quickly reformed as they heard voices.

“Casey Arnold Jones! What is that?”

Don broke the kiss with a sneer, hearing April’s voice.

“I knew there was no way she agreed to this.”

A little offended by how Donnie’s mind shifted to April when they were kissing, Leo muttered something about needing to greet her.

It was getting cold again.

“You need to fix the heater next,” he said, disengaging himself. 

Stiffly, he walked back to greet the newcomer.

And as he expected, April was standing in the middle of the room, livid.

“How dare you lie to me, Casey! Those pictures were fake!”

“I didn’t!” Casey protested. “Those were the pictures attached to the email!”

Leo understood April’s disappointment. Of course, they didn’t have time to make the place look dazzling in twenty minutes. Leo felt bad looking at the floor, still covered in dust and shards. Instead of daydreaming and making-out with Donnie, he could have finished it instead of relying on Mikey, the slowest turtle ever, with a broom. But thinking back of it reminded him of the disturbing message he saw on the ground. He glanced around expectantly, hoping to find something he could show to Don, who was now standing next to him.

“Donnie!” April exclaimed. “Is this place even sanitary?”

Don folded his arms.

“I didn’t have the time to look around. I really only had time to just set up an independent generator. At least you won’t have to be worried about the bills. But if you want me to give you an estimate, even with us working for free.” Don stopped to calculate. “We need three or four weeks and around $35,000,” he stated. In front of both April and Casey’s ashen faces, he felt the need to explain.“This is a shop selling side food, alcohol, and atmosphere favorable to cruising and business. You need to buy an inventory of alcohol, first. I doubt you’ll last with a single beer twelve-pack if you intend to stay in business for more than three hours. And the furniture is too old-fashioned and broken, anyway,” he said, picking up a leg chair. “The stools could do, but they need new leather.”

Donatello went on about all that should be bought or fixed and by the end of it, April looked like she would be sick.

“But we’ll probably need to clean this place better than this for me to even begin to evaluate the damage.”

Casey looked at April like a toddler wondering if he would get punished after having spilled grape juice on white tablecloth. Indeed, she was livid, but she kept herself in check so as to not make a scene in front of them. Without a word, she started cleaning too, picking up the bar counter’s trash, obviously trying to hold back her tears. To say the atmosphere was tense was a harsh understatement. Despite it, they followed after her, resuming to their clean-up. To Leo’s slight annoyance, Don didn’t hesitate to assist April with the counter. They were talking in low voices, making their conversation undecipherable, but Leo drowned his jealousy away. They were friends, April was upset, it was understandable.

“When this place is scrubbed clean and Don gets us some upgrades, it won’t be that bad, right, Mikey?” Raph asked aloud in an attempt to light up the atmosphere. He figured Mikey was most likely to agree with him. “Oh and change the name, too.” This seemed to bother Raph the most. He just wasn’t able to drop it. “The Headless Swamp sounds like abad horror movie title.”

Don muttered that the name mostly didn’t make sense since there were no swamps around there, even back in the forties.

“But this is exactly my purpose here!” Casey exclaimed, dismissing Donatello’s comment. “I want to make this place a horror-themed bar!”

They all stared at him speechless. It wasn’t that it was a bad idea, but a daring choice.

“With Don’s tech, I would be able to get some special effect!” He looked expectantly at Donnie. “You know, Halloween is soon! Momentum and all,” he concluded, a bit embarrassed. Of course, he was. All the success of this landed on Donnie, the only brother that he didn’t get along with at all.

“You are aware Halloween happens once a year,” Don deadpanned. Meanwhile, April just couldn’t hold it in anymore; she hides her face in her hand with a tremorous sob, before hiding it into Don’s plastron.  
  
They made eye contact briefly, and Leo nodded. What he saw earlier that disturbed him so much was less serious business than April’s breakdown.

Leo resumed his cleaning, feeling his chest throbbing, half from the anguish he felt since he set foot in the place, half from jealousy.

“He’s only caring as a friend,” Mikey whispered to him with a warm, encouraging smile. “Don’t make this face.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about Michelangelo,” Leo replied in a dull voice, even if he was secretly pleased to hear such a soothing voice. He didn’t want to look silly being jealous. Donatello wasn’t his mate or anything like that, well not yet. And even if he was, Don could still be April’s closest friend. Leonardo has no say on what Don does out of the battlefield if it wasn't dangerous. April was her friend and Don wasn’t a jerk to leave her like that. This was this caring side of him Leo loved the most. And April’s tears were making more sense than Leo’s visions, so that must be why Don turned to her, right?

“You’re fooling no one,” Mikey retorted. “Anyway, admitting April gets in an argument with Casey about this bar and they break up, I don’t think Donnie will go for her. And if he did, I guess Raph would be willing to take his place,” Mikey sighed.

At this Leo stared eye-widened at Mikey. Both Donnie and April had turned into nothing but subsequent memories, now forgotten.

“Raph? What do you mean?” he stammered, confused.

“I mean don’t you think he was overreacting a little earlier?” Mikey shrugged. “He snapped more at Don than you. So, I would guess that he would have liked to be with you the way Donnie was.”

“You have quite the imagination, Mikey,” Leo replied, louder to stop the conversation. Despite himself, an image popped in his mind. Now ashamed, he engrossed himself in his sweeping task. He could understand why Raph would have been shocked to walk on his brothers making out. The leader himself has no idea how he would have reacted if it would have been him making such a discovery. “I understand Raph’s reaction, but I would appreciate it if we don’t talk about that here. Not before Don and I speak. If anything, you’re the one having under-reacted.”

“I just think it seemed to feel good. But I get it,” Mikey smiled again. The whole story seemed to entertain him deeply. Leo couldn’t decide if he thought of it as irritating or relieving. “I just want you to know I’m rooting for whatever your choice is. Don, Raph, me-” Mikey giggled at Leo’s astonished face. “I mean, we all love each other equally, right?” There was a hint of anxiety behind his voice, despite how casual he sounded. “Besides, we all look very similar. Don is just slender than Raph.” 

Leonardo decided he was done with the conversation. Mikey was talking like they were all interchangeable and Leo… hated it. It was true that he loved all of them. Well, before Don made his move, he was. But now, his heart raced a little faster every time his eyes landed on his genius brother, but would it upset Mikey? This is why he had turned Donnie down the first time, a week ago. He didn’t want to play favorites, mess up their family, and now, hurt feelings. Maybe they should call the whole thing off. 

“See, see?” Casey yelled, waving a newspaper page under Raph's nose. “The real estate agent didn’t lie to me! This is from the Daily Mirror! Look! This column marks the twenty anniversary of this bar! And it was called the same name as today!”

Glad to have a distraction, Leo asked Raph what it was about.

After a moment skimming the column, Raph gave the paper back to Casey, looking not very impressed.

“It said that the place got founded after WWII and was still very popular twenty years later. So, yeah, I bet it would have been a wise move to buy this place in frigging 1966!” Raph threw his arms above his head. “But newsflash Case, you are fifty-four years too late man!”

It was a rare sight to see Raphael snapping at his best buddy. No one was ever allowed to badmouth Casey. Well, Donnie did a few times and each time, Raph was clearly struggling to hold himself back from biting his brother's head off.

“There's this one, too!! Casey seemed to have found a stash of cut newspaper columns in a drawer. “The next owner that ran this place in the seventies was successful too!” 

“Would ya fucking drop it!” Raph growled. “Just help me with the trash!”

Since Raph seemed too pissed to even look at his friend right now, Casey ran to the next best thing, handing his discovery to Leonardo. If he could get the leader to side with him, Casey knew he would win over the others. 

Leo glanced down with a sigh but decided to show good wills and read it. Anything to keep his mind away from the nightmarish vision from earlier. 

Indeed, the place seemed to have been successful from 1946 to 1982, but then, an article caught Leo’s attention. He read it avidly and a chill ran through his spine. He was feeling watched and, nervously, he scanned the room, his hand reaching his swords. Again, there was no one, but Leo’s behavior hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Jesus, Leo. What’re ya’ so antsy about?” Raph groaned with annoyance. “You can’t chill out without Donnie, anymore? Is that it?”

Leo locked eyes with Raphael, but refused to answer him. Instead, he took a deep breath. 

“Did you read the column called “The cursed bar”, Casey? It's very interesting.” Leonardo turned toward the human. “The first owner had been found dead in 1966 after having sliced his own throat,” Leo said gravely. "The second owner had been declared guilty of twelve murders and brought to prison. The third one tried to hang himself but got saved at the last moment. He proclaimed having murdered three homeless people because he heard a voice in his mind telling him to do so. He attempted suicide so as to not kill a fourth one. He had been sent in a psychiatric yard because they found no evidence he committed the crime he was accusing himself of. But since then, urban legend had started to spread, the place decayed, and well, no one in their right mind tried to buy this place.”

A profound silence followed Leo’s declaration. “...And that’s not all,” the leader continued. “This reporter made a connection with a cold case. Between 1925-1940, a serial killer had murdered and massacred fourteen people in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. He cut them in pieces, man or woman, and the head was often missing. A journalist from the late twenties called the spot where they found some bodies the “Headless Swamp.” The journalist from 1982 is wondering if the murderer was the first owner or if calling the bar the same name than a murder scene was a provocation that brought on his bar a curse.” Leo’s rational mind wasn’t believing in any curse, but his uneasiness grew. He put on a composed front. “Did this real estate agent inform you about a suicide in this place and the name being a connection to a murder scene?” he asked. “Because it would have been very relevant information.”

Now Casey was the one looking embarrassed.

“He didn’t but….” Casey summoned his boldness. “I think it’s actually great! It would fit with the horror vibe I want to give to this place! We need to glue these pages for the bar customers to see! They would get all jittery, needing some more liquid courage,” he cheered, but his voice lacked from a real conviction.

Raph’s face was twisted in a disapproving grimace. 

“It’s still in a very grey area of taste,” Leo said, looking at Mikey, who nodded in approval. The youngest didn’t seem to be eager to cook anything in the back kitchen, anymore. “I know it’s too late, but I think it wasn’t a very wise move to decide to buy this bar.”

“Casey!” April was back, storming in the room, her eyes flashing with anger. “We found this in the office!” She slammed on the counter another set of clipped articles, but they seemed a lot older by their yellowish hue.“Do you know where the name of this place came from!” she yelled. 

She realized Leo was also holding some newspaper and she snatched them from him.

“It appears that the first owner seemed to have a deep fascination for cold cases about dismembered bodies,” Don said quietly. “He kept some newspaper articles from Cleveland about a criminal called the Torso Murderer and from New Castle, Pennsylvania as well. This place attracts all kinds of nutcases,” he finished with a half-smile.

The same weird feeling retook Leo, but worse. It was like someone was pressing on his plastron, crushing his chest to the point where he couldn’t breathe anymore. The leader felt dizzy and oppressed and he ambled to Mikey, clenching to him. Was he about to faint?

His three brothers called his name, all he heard was blurred vocals.

“Leo, are you alright?” Mikey asked, concerned. “You’ve been acting kinda weird, man.” The youngest looked at Don waiting for a reply from their physician. “Is it stress?”

“The hell did you do to Fearless, Donnie?” Raph asked angrily. “We’ve never seen him like that.”

Don didn't even have the time to reply before Mikey put his two-cents.

“If anything, you’re the one having stressed Leo with your bitching!” Mikey exclaimed, poking Raph. “ He-”

“Silence!” Leo straightened himself. He could see April and Casey staring at them. Leonardo couldn’t let them know about what had occurred between Donnie and him. What if they were disgusted?! What if they don’t want to be friends?! Besides, he refused to let Don be accused of his weak state. Donatello did nothing wrong. 

“I’m just… I think I’m dehydrated… just give me some water.”  
  
“Did you fix the water, Don?” Raph wondered anxiously, his anger forgotten. He was the closest to the sink as he frantically searched for a glass that wasn’t cracked or broken.

“Yes, but let it run two minutes, even after it’s not a rusty color. I didn’t have the time to test it. It could contain some lead,” Don answered, his worried gaze studying Leo. 

Raphael turned the tap and waited a few minutes to clean the cup and be sure the water was clear before rushing to the leader's side.

“Drink up, Fearless,” Raphael urged, handing the cup to Leo. He was about to take a sip when, through his blurred vision, a thick, dark red liquid with a distinctive coppery smell seemed to dance upwards from the bottom of the cup, completely overtaking the water. The smell made him gag and he slapped Raph’s hand away. The cup smashed on the ground, shattering in shards and splattering blood on his brother’s.

“What the heck!?” Leo was now wheezing. “W-Where’d you get that blood from!? I-Is this a joke?!” 

His brothers and April and Casey shared anxious glances. Raph was flabbergasted.

“W-what…?” he stuttered, deeply confused, and hurt to have displeased his brother without meaning it.

“Leo, where did you see blood?” Don asked. Leo realized he was trembling when Mikey held on him. 

“There!” He pointed. How could Donnie not see it? “It was in the cup! And it’s all over you too!” Leo insisted, pointing at Raphael. “The cup was filled from blood!” Even blinded by panic, Leonardo knew Raph didn’t do it on purpose. Maybe there was something wrong with the plumbing and Raph didn’t notice.

They all stared at Raph. Even Raphael looked down at himself. Then, they gave Leo a look he had never seen before: pity and confusion.

“Mikey, go back home with Leo,” Don said. It wasn’t at him to call the shots, but no one opposed it. “Go home, give him water, and tuck him in bed. I’ll check on him when we’re back.” His gaze was heavy on Raphael. “For health purposes,” he felt forced to add. Raphael didn’t even retort a word and Leo realized what was happening. Despite what he said, Don thought he was delusional and was already treating him like he was mentally ill.

He opened his mouth to protest, but his eyes landed on the mirror behind Raphael. The woman was still looking at him, from the other side of it. This time, her expression was desperate. She was trying to get out of the mirror like she was trying to get out of water, her arms moving like she was trying to surface. Her mouth seemed open on a silent scream and Leonardo drew his swords. Breaking Mikey’s hold, he rushed to the mirror and smashed it with a katana’s strike. But at the moment the blade touched the mirror, Leonardo felt an icy wave. It was like his whole body had been plunged in cold water and his brain could record only a single word.

“Help.”

Now overwhelmed by the freezing sensation, Leo lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

When Leo awoke from his shocked state, he was in his bed with Mikey cuddled against him and Raph asleep slumped in a chair. Don was slumped in a chair as well, but still awake with a mug in his hand and bags under his eyes.

“Hey, Leo, how are you feeling?” Don asked in a murmur to not awake the other two. “You scared us for a moment there,”

An image of the day before flashed through Leo’s mind, but a virulent headache made him clench his teeth with a groan. He felt like razor blades were slicing his brain.

“Ugh, my head…”

“That’s what I thought. I checked around carefully before leaving and there was nothing at all. It was the only logical explanation: visual migraine," Don spoke softly, not wanting to make Leo’s headache worse neither awake his brothers. "Visual migraines often appear as a sudden, temporary visual distortion that often begins with a small sparkling, shimmering area that slowly expands outward. The growing spot often has jagged, zig-zag edges or and may create the sensation of looking through a cracked window, if you prefer. The visual migraine aura usually moves across your field of view and disappears within 40 minutes,” he explained, but Leo wasn’t convinced. What he had seen wasn’t corresponding to this description. Don must have made the same reasoning because he added: “Everyone could experience it differently, I guess but it usually starts with vision troubles, but in a typical migraine, a throbbing headache quickly follows the visual symptoms. The headache lasts several hours and is accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. You don’t remember because you were shocked, but you threw up on your way here.”

Leo had no memory of it, but it could explain the bitter, foul taste he had in his mouth.

“You need silence, darkness, rest, water, and Tylenol." He had a sad, but tender smile. "I admit I'm not fully satisfied with this diagnosis, and I want to give you a better check-up when you’re ready, but I see no other possibility so far. Migraines can happen following an emotionally stressful situation."

Leo gathered his thoughts to understand what Don meant. Donatello was blaming himself for them having been caught. Indeed, it was annoying to have been caught when they were not even sure yet what to do with their feelings. But Don had no reason to blame himself. It’s not like he forced himself on Leo. Donatello was his more obedient teammate. A single no and he wouldn't ever try it again. If anything, Leo was the one supposed to be aware of their surroundings in any circumstances. But since their Sensei’s death, Leo had been weak. It was time he returned to be the leader he was. But it would be after the migraine was gone. He was relieved to know a logical reason for the weird hallucinations he had the day before. Leonardo had a brief thought about poor Casey. His brothers left, letting their human friends down with that disaster of a place. April must have chewed Casey out the minute they left. 

Don stroked Leo’s cheek lovingly and Mikey stirred in his sleep. The leader turned stiff and Donnie dropped his hand.

“I’ll get you Advil.”  
*****

Leo had spent a part of his day alone in his room, his skull throbbing with pain. He tried his best to ignore the memories of what he had believed he had seen at the Headless Swamp. Maybe the name of the place influenced his vision? Maybe this migraine was more the result of his poor sleep and the little he ate? He wasn’t even hungry, but Mikey brought him some energy bars and vegetable soup that Leo forced himself to eat. He had lost weight in the last month. If he wanted to lead his brothers on a battlefield, he needed to be in shape.

His brothers did their best to be silent, but soon enough, he heard a slamming door and Raphael’s heavy steps approaching the dojo. Ashamed, he realized Raph and Don must’ve had a discussion about _ **that.**_ Leo wouldn't dare stay locked in his room when his brothers were fighting. It was already past 7 pm. He opened the door of his bedroom only to bump into Mikey.

“Oh, you’re up!” Mikey chirped. “I knew my soup would heal you!”

“Yes, I’m better.” It wasn’t a lie. His migraine had decreased to a slight headache. “Are Donnie and Raph fighting?”

Mikey turned fidgety and Leo knew his little brother wasn’t going to tell the full truth. The argument must have been a big one.

“Donnie got a phone call from April,” Mikey started to explain. “She’s mad at Casey, if you didn’t already guess. She asked for love advice or somethin’. She told Casey it was that bar or her. She said that he had to sell it.” Mikey shrugged. “So Don said he wouldn’t continue to help Casey. He said he had done enough already. I kinda understand D. He is caught between a rock and a hard place. Helping Casey meant going against April.”

Indeed, Leo could understand Don’s dilemma. Well, it wasn’t a real dilemma. Donatello’s contempt for Casey was well-known. His genius brother didn’t care at all for him, but refusing to help Casey would mean pissing off Raphael, the very emotional brother he lived with. 

“Don said he wouldn’t go unless you force him into doing it by giving the order. Raph is mad because he knows that you won’t give the order so then he said, since you’re sick, you’ll both play doctor all night long,” Mikey concluded with a smirk. 

Leonardo flushed in anger. Couldn’t Mikey just drop it for one day? Probably not. But Leo saw in this as a means to calm down Raphael. He was feeling better, so he would go with Raph to help Casey. The leader still felt guilty. Because of his stupid migraine all of his brothers turned back home too early, leaving Casey to his mess. Leonardo had always been neutral in this April versus Casey idea. Both were allies they could count on. Both were very good friends of Don and Raphs. April’s personality was better fitting with Leo’s, but he was a little annoyed by how clingy she was with Donnie now. He wouldn’t force Don into helping Casey with them, but by siding with Raphael, Leonardo would please him, so maybe Raph would stop making comments about them kissing. Leo was so glad that Raph didn’t walk on them five minutes earlier when they were both milking each other dry. He still has the intoxicating pheromone aroma in the nose. 

“Daydreaming about your crush, again?” Mikey mocked. “You are as red as Raph’s bandana. Is Donnie really that good of a kisser? I would have never guessed he had that in him!”

“Shush Mikey!” the leader snapped. Finally, it was impossible. Leo wouldn’t bear Mikey’s teasing and Raph’s bitter and grossed out remarks forever. He would have to tell Donnie that they couldn’t be in a relationship. It might have felt good if Raph was not so disapproving of it and Mikey so annoying… but it had to end before it could even start. Donatello would understand. Donnie was so considerate and thoughtful and obedient.

He walked with great strides to the kitchen. One cup of tea and he would be alright. Speaking of which, Don was in the kitchen, busy with the dishwasher he had assembled a few months ago.

“I’m not going, Raph and that’s final,” Don said sharply, without glancing behind him. “And no, I don’t want to stay behind to fool around with Leonardo.” Leo froze hearing his name, realizing Don had no idea who was standing behind him. “I’m staying here because April is my friend and your friend is a moron who bought a place without even visiting it,” Don continued. “Why would I bother to go there when he wanted to spare himself the effort to even give it a check?” The leader had to admit; Donnie has a good point. “And no, helping Casey isn’t helping April. They broke up and I’m glad. She deserves a better man, a caring and loving person. Someone more considerate. Someone with more constructive hobbies than bashing skulls and binge drinking. He had never been suited for her.” 

With the news that April and Casey broke up- and the news that Donnie was glad- a weird feeling crept into Leo. The cold pit in his stomach grew bigger when his brother enumerated the qualities of April’s next boyfriend. Was Don talking about himself?

“I’m not Raphael,” Leonardo said icily, a tone he never used for Donatello. The genius turned his head, surprised by Leo’s presence. “I’m here to tell you that if you want to stay home, that’s fine, but Raph, Mikey and myself are going to help Casey. Of course, none of us have your skills, but we can manage it without you.”

Leo was flabbergasted by how cold he was and he turned his shell to open the cupboard, feeling edgy and overwhelmed by something he couldn’t nail.

“Are you feeling better?” Don inquired, his voice quiet.

“I am.” Leo refused to look at him. His heart raced like crazy as he balled his fists, feeling his palm sweat. He wasn’t an idiot, he knew he just had a jealousy tantrum, and he felt ridiculous. “Thanks for caring,” he added, his voice strained.

A silence followed as Leo put water to boil.

“Are you angry at me because I don’t want to go help Casey?” Don asked softly. “If that’s so, I can come with and help…” He sucked in a deep breath. “Or it is about something else?”

The atmosphere was tense for a moment as Leo prepared his tea, still mute. He knew what Don meant by “something else.” Before Raph interrupted them, Leo was supposed to give him an answer. Don wanted to know if Leo just decided it was a no. Indeed, it has to be. Three months ago, Leo would never have been as silly as being jealous of April. Their household would turn quiet again. 

“We’ll have this discussion after I come back,” Leo stated, finally locking eyes with his brother. “I’m not angry at you for refusing to help Casey, but I would be grateful if you come with us.”

Now it was Don’s turn to look away and stay in a sullen silence.

“I-... I guess I’ll come,” he sighed, “For you. Give me twenty minutes to gather my tools.” He raised his hand to his head and sighed. “I won’t bother you with my feelings anymore,” he whispered, before leaving the kitchen. Leo stared at his cup, trying to convince himself it was for the best.

****

The whole way to the Headless Swamp, Don had been gloomy and silent and Leo figured it was the reason he was feeling so oppressed when they finally pushed open the sewer plate. Raph had been ecstatic to see Leo side with him and going as far as forcing Donnie into following. Leo had retorted he didn’t force Donatello.

"Don always works better when he has an incentive," Mikey joked suggestively, but his comment was welcomed by such a cold silence that he just had to shut up.

Arriving there, they had the unpleasant surprise of being greeted by a very drunk Casey. Raph’s buddy was alone, sitting at the bar, in the same mess exactly as they left the day before. When he saw Donnie, Casey ran to take the genius in his arms, ranting about how good of a guy Donatello really was. Don snorted and rolled his eyes, stiff in the human’s embrace.

Then he thanked Raph, such a good friend, able to convince his brothers to help him. Raph, slightly troubled, explained Leo was the one calling the shots. So, Leo got his part of a hug, and then, Mikey too, for no other reason that Casey was starting to get affectionate.

“I’m gonna put on some music! It would motivate us to work!” he cheered. “And we need to have a drink and make a toast to my new life of my own boss!”

“Of course, why not drink his stock in trade,” Don sneered, ogling the single Gin bottle, almost empty. “He’s sure off to a great start.”

“Hey! Cut him some slack!” Raph muttered angrily. “The poor guy just got dumped!”

Donnie squared his shoulders and without a word, stiffly walked to the backstore. Leo felt a lump in his throat. Don just got dumped too and still, he was there to work. Along with having to hide his disappointment. As music filled the room, the melody seemed to distort. It did nothing to help Leos headache.

“So, Leo, buddy, what are your orders?” Casey stammered. He poured himself a drink, which he then drank in one gulp, having forgotten already his offer to pour the turtle a drink. Leo stared a moment. Of course Casey has still not a single ounce of leadership. He didn’t plan anything other than putting on some music. 

“We’ll finish what we started yesterday,” the leader proposed. To just pick up the stuff from the floor would take hours.

“Oh, yes, yesterday! Are you feeling better?” Casey asked idly. “I thought you were going bananas. You acted like you were delusional, man!”

A shiver ran through Leo and, unconsciously, his gaze landed on the place he had seen the woman the day before.

“I’m better, thank you.” He stared at the smashed mirror. He must have seemed like a lunatic. It wasn’t that he cared much for Casey’s opinion, but he didn’t want his brothers to think he was going crazy. “Donatello said it was a visual migraine.” 

“If the doc said so,” Case said, waving his hand dismissively. He tried to fill his glass again, but Raph prevented him from doing so by putting a broom into Casey’s hands. It was a testimony of how drunk Casey was. “Did you see?” he said, showing off some framed, dusty picture.. “It’s Marilyn Monroe. She went to this bar! I told you it was a winning place!” he cried out.

“It’s Jayne Mansfield,” Mikey corrected after a quick glance. “But well, she was a busty blond too..” He shrugged. “I doubt she went here without being paid, but whatever dude. Let's do our best!”

They started to clean the place, again. Leonardo was carefully keeping his gaze solely on his task. Casey’s drunk rambling was making a comforting background and he tried his best to ignore the deep feeling of anguish submerging him. Again, he had the feeling of being watched, but he knew it was only him getting paranoid. It wasn’t even coming from one place, it was like the room was filled with invisible people watching him. As the sensation became overbearing, Leo decided he would stop being a coward. What he saw yesterday was related to his migraine, that’s all.

“Don’t leave him alone.”

His heart skipped a beat as he heard the words. Though the voice only reverberated in his mind, it seemed. He looked around, frowning. Maybe it was his consciousness talking to him, because even if he tried to concentrate on the work, what happened the night before wasn’t the only thing troubling him. Donatello was there, hurt and upset, and working to please him. Leo put down the dust pan. He couldn’t be at ease if he didn’t set things straight with Don first. He had been unnecessarily harsh and cold earlier and he needed to explain himself better. 

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes. A ghostly black stain was on the door leading to the backstore.

“Don’t leave him alone.”

Primal fear and an urge to check on Donatello rushed over the leader.

“I’m going to see if Donnie needs something,” Leo mumbled, barely hearing Raph’s bitching and Mikey scolding him in a low voice. Only the loud pounding of his own heart was resonating in Leo’s brain. He put his hand on the black stain to push open the door. The stain seemed to move to another door, probably the one of the manager's office. It beckoned Leo to follow. He walked boldly to it, led by his need to protect his brother if he was in danger. 

“Don!” he shouted, pushing open the door with a violent swing.

“Ouch!”

Donatello was there, crouched on the ground behind the door, an old, rusty butcher’s knife in hand. 

“You startled me!” Donatello protested, obviously in a sour mood. He showed his bloody thumb. “I’ll need a tetanus shot, now!” he exclaimed with a grimace. “After I’m done with connecting this place to WI-FI, of course.”

“Sorry,” Leo said quickly. “What’s a knife like that doing in an office?”

“I don’t know.” Don’s tone was sharper than the blade. It never happened in their whole life that Donatello spoke to the leader like that, but Leo didn’t care for now. He was only concerned for Donnie’s wound.

“I’m sorry,” Leo repeated, his tone much different than before. “I love you,” Suddenly his feelings were clear to him. In the last few months, it was obvious Master Splinter would die, Don had been so supportive and comforting. He needed him; he wanted to grasp more of Don’s loving, private sides. “I want to be with you, but I think our brothers need time to get used to it. I know for sure I need time,” he corrected. “So, I want us to take it slow. I don’t want them to walk on us and see something they aren’t prepared for. We need to tell them about our mutual feelings, explain to them it’s our choice to explore over brotherly boundaries and we want to be respected in that.” He took Don’s hand, softly kissing the cut. “They need to be assured that nothing would change out of our bedroom. I won’t play favorites on the battlefield. I need to know you will stay the same too… my sweet Donnie.”

Don didn’t react immediately. His expression stayed oddly blank, his hand slack into Leo’s and the anxiety rushed on the leader like an icy wave. A desire to turn his back and run to his other brothers took him. Donatello’s brown gaze was on him, nailing him to the floor.

“You love me,” he finally uttered slowly, before a smile graced his face. “No one’s ever told me that.”

Leonardo raised an eye ridge. It was a weird comment to make. Did he mean April never told him such a thing? But Donatello shook his head as if he was in disbelief of Leo's feelings. “You’ll change your mind soon enough…”

To lack such confidence wasn’t Donatello, but Leo could agree he had sent his brother’s mixed signals in the last few days.

“I won’t,” Leo promised. “This isn’t like I don’t know you. But as I said, we need to be…”

“Prove to me that you’re serious,” Don demanded.

Leo stared, not used to getting his words doubted, but he slowly drew his tanto. Don tensed, following his movement, his own hand tightening against the old knife he was still holding. Leo pressed the blade against his thumb, making himself a similar cut.

“I promise,” he said solemnly. He was about to rub his cut to Don’s as to mingle their blood together, but the ghostly dark stain was now on Donnie’s face and he froze, gasping. What happened to him?

Don had earnestly watched the gesture, watching as the blood droplet ran, falling on the disjointed wood plank floor. 

“I’m so turned on right now,” Donatello suddenly said, his voice very husky. He took Leo’s hand, rubbed it against his face, kissing and licking it, his tongue twirling against Leo’s digits. He sucked the bloody thumb in such a suggestive way, it made the leader’s lower region throb, even if a part of him found it borderline twisted. If it wasn’t of the dark stain, he would probably jump on Donnie as aroused he was now himself. “I would fuck you right into the floor, but you aren’t a whore, you must be courted before, right?” Donatello wondered aloud. “That’s what you said.”

Leonardo’s brain was too shocked by “fuck you now” to record the rest. First, Donatello never used crude language like that. Second, the very few times he had thought about having sex with his brother, Donnie topping him hadn’t been the combination he had in mind. He was too inexperienced to be firm on any choice, but Donnie does machines and Leonardo leads, it always been like that.

A sharp pain at his finger kicked him out of his thoughts. Don had bitten on another of his fingers, hard, drawing blood. 

“I wanted to leave a mark as well. Looks like a ring to me,” Donnie explained, looking very pleased with himself. The leader couldn’t protest about how reckless he was to allow such a mark as his breath got stolen by a hungry kiss. Everything took a back seat as they made out for a while, stroking each other. Leo hadn’t realized he had been pushed down on his shell with his cock pulled out, it was like all had escalated too naturally.

“Fearless! What’s the fuck are you doing with Don! We need you here!” Raph roared from the bar room.

Don broke the kiss.

“Who does he think he is!” Don hissed angrily in a low voice before shouting: “Just a minute, I’m fixing the wifi!”

But instead of letting Leo go and work, Don resumed to kiss and caress him, still pumping the leader’s leaking cock. 

“S-stop… what are you doing?” Leo panted. It was feeling good, but it wasn’t the moment or the place to fool around. 

“I’m not letting you go until you burst in my hand,” the genius retorted, breathing hard in the hollow of Leo’s neck. He was stroking the back of his neck sensually. “I’m close too,” he whispered.

“But our brothers are just in the next room,” the leader protested.

“I think it’s more exciting to do it where people could see.”

It was so un-Donnie-like, but it didn’t prevent Leo from tipping over the edge. When he opened his eyes, Don was standing up, his shell facing Leo. 

“I’m going to clean and bandage your wound,” he said, rummaging in his bag. “Thankfully, I knew that place was a health hazard and I have a first-aid kit. How’s your head?”

Don was now back at his caring normal self and, in his afterglow, Leo held a quick smile. It was a quick change, from the lustful, bold beast he was three minutes ago, but Leonardo decided he didn’t mind. The leader said he was fine, but talked about the ghostly stain. It wasn’t there anymore, but Leo was too responsible to hide any information to his brother. If Leo has vision trouble, it could endanger his family and team. 

Donatello nodded as he had expected the answer. 

“A blind spot. I told you they could move in your field of vision.” He stretched his hand to caress Leo’s jawbone tenderly, before pulling out an alcohol solution to disinfect the cut. “I hope you won’t have another headache. If you are feeling better, I would like to have a check-up on your eyes later at home.” He cleaned the cut, put a bandage on it, and kissed the leader’s forehead. “Tell me if it’s getting worse. And don’t let Casey boss you around. You don’t have to do anything. I’ll take care of it. Here, wipe yourself before heading back or you’ll get teased by Mikey again.” 

Leo took the cleaning wipe. His gaze landed on the oozing bite mark on his finger. This one, Don didn’t bandage it and the leader didn’t dare ask about it. Something in it was making him fizzingly anxious but keen at the same time.

“Thanks for being there despite your hate for Casey,” Leo murmured. “Maybe with our help he could sell the place back and not lose too much money. Then, maybe April would accept to return with him,” the leader added, prying Don’s face to see his reaction. 

“Nah, I’m sure this place could work,” Don said confidently. “It only needs a few tune-ups, some new blood, you know?” He smirked. “Once upon a time, it was quite famous here. I need maybe...three weeks, maybe less.” A gleam lit up his brown gaze and Leo, despite his trust in Donnie’s skills, was very surprised. Why did Donatello change his mind and wanted to help Casey get successful?

“Casey said a week, but well, I think he isn’t very good with planning,” Leo replied cautiously. Was it for April?

“Casey isn’t good with anything that requires a brain. But I thought about it and I think this place is exactly what we need.”

“What do you mean?”

Raph was, again, calling him, seemingly beyond furious, but not to the point to barge in. He was probably still disturbed by the vision of them kissing.

“I have to go back. I know your job is important, but despite your tech, this place would be only appealing to rodents if it is not cleaned.” He quickly pecked his brother’s lips. “Don’t forget what I said. I want us to get slowly and naturally used to this. If we act the same and are honest, Raph would accept it and Mikey will stop finding it entertaining to tease us.”

Don licked his lips, like he was savoring the lingering taste of the kiss.

“Yeah,” he said, looking distracted. “I have work to do. See you later.”

Leo was only half surprised to be dismissed this way. When Don was engrossed in his work, he became very different, barely remembering he had to drink, eat and sleep. But after the moment they shared together, it hurt a little. 

Leo left the genius to his work and returned to the front shop, trying to brace himself for whatever comment his other sibling could make. It must have been thirty minutes or so that he was gone. What had happened before wasn’t bothering him anymore. It was a visual migraine and nothing more. Though, that didn’t stop Leo from freezing in terror when he set a foot in the bar.

The floor was now transparent. Under his feet he could see people, their mouths agape and their eyes wide as they wriggled under what looked to be a hazy layer of ice, trying to scratch the floor with their nails to get free. He then began to tremble as he caught a whiff of something pungent. The air was too thick to breathe.

“Fuck! He had a seizure!” someone yelled. It sounded like Raph. “Donnie! Bring your ass here!”

They were now all around him, looking down at him with scared wide eyes. Leo could see them through a pinhole. His tongue was too heavy and his throat was so tight, he couldn't breathe properly. Mikey was sliding water in his mouth and he tried to sip it, but it was running down his chin. 

“So what’s happening to him, genius?” Raph urged. “He was staring at the ground like the floor would beat his head off!”

“I don’t know, but something here is triggering those visual migraines,” Donatello stated, deep concern on his face. “Until I figure it out, he must stay home.”

“I know what a migraine is and that doesn’t look like one to me!” Raph retorted. “What were you doing in this back store in the first place?”

Even if Raph's first comment made sense, his question was pointless and nosy. Don didn’t reply right away, waiting that the leader stopped to tremble and seemed to have full consciousness.

“So?” the ho head insisted with impatience. 

“First off, I’m the medic in this family, not you. Secondly, I was drugging him. Not,” Donnie said sarcastically, landing a soft smack on his brother's shoulder. “We were just kissing, you oaf. Either way, I don’t think that my kisses could put Leo in this kind of state, so your question is irrelevant.” He folded his arms. “We told you before; it’s none of your business.”

Raph wasn’t expecting such a straight answer. Leo wanted to put his two cents and scold Donnie, who’d dare kiss and tell, and also to agree with Raph. It wasn’t a migraine. But even if he was moving his lips, there was no sound coming out.

“Leo, Mikey is going to bring you home. I need Raph’s arms to help me set this place since this human is useless as always.” He glared at Casey. “I want you to call me the minute Leo regains full consciousness and can talk. If he gets any worse, also call me.” 

“Are you not coming home with us to check on him now?” Mikey asked incredulously. 

Don straightened himself looking around. 

“The faster this place is set up, the faster Leo can stop playing Cinderella here. Anyway, I don’t want him near this place anymore.” His tone was authoritative. “Don’t even try to ask him to help you,” he growled at Casey or Raph or both. “This place distresses him and he has already to cope with the death of Master Splinter. He needs calm and rest.”

“He’s been resting for months already. I think he’s over Master Splinter's death. You groping him probably shocked him more than anything,” Raph accused.

“You’re only jealous because I made my move before you. I marked him as mine and I advise you to back off now,” Don countered in a clipped tone.

A threatening aura was around Donatello and the dark stain was back on his face. The feeling of incoming dread hit Leo full force. Leo wanted to tell Raph to shut up for his own sake.

“Black,” Leo managed to utter. No one seemed to notice or care, probably because it was nonsense.

“Leo, go home, okay? I’m taking care of everything here and I will be back in a few hours.” Don said, back to being sweet, his eyes shining with tenderness. “Mikey, I’m trusting you with him. Don’t leave him alone.”

Mikey was picking him up, but Leo put all his wills into moving his hand.

“Raph too,” he mumbled, grasping the hothead’s wrist. A deep need to have Raphael by his side took him. There was something dangerous oozing from the place and it seemed to pour from Don as well, right now. He, as the leader, needed to protect his siblings.

He could tell Don was taken aback and hurt by Leo’s request, but he shrugged to hide it. Making a scene wasn’t Donatello and he wasn’t as silly as Leonardo to be jealous.

“I’ve had enough of this meat head,” he shrugged, meaning Casey. The leader could see him now; the bar owner was snoring on a bench. Donnie turned his back to return to work. “Don’t forget your promise, Leo. I will respect mine. You, call me if anything happens,” he said, addressing his other brothers.

Raph cursed under his breath, but he took Leo into his arms from Mikey’s. 

“The son of a bitch. Who does he think he is? The leader?” he said, walking off with a Leo carried bridal style.

“It's weird he stayed behind,” Mikey said, opening the backdoor leading to the alley. The fresh air whipped Leo’s face and already, he was feeling better. “I mean, if he sees Leo that way, he should be by his side, right?” The youngest lifted the sewer plate. “Whenever we were hurt he always dropped everything he was doing to give us care. But suddenly he’ll just… check on it later?” Mikey quoted,. “And to help Casey of all the people?”

It was exactly what Leo thought, but Raph huffed. 

“Well, maybe he only wanted a sample spoon and now that Leo had given him a test drive in this damn backstore, he isn’t into him anymore?”

It hurt so much, could it be true? But the leader uttered:

“No...test drive.”

He wasn’t sure they heard him because they continued to talk.

“He wouldn't have told you to back off then,” Mikey pointed out. “He is right, you are jealous. But whatever you feel, shut up.” Michelangelo sounded bitter and tired. “You are upsetting Leo and it's been twice he took your side today. Give him a break!”

They continued to argue all the way. Back home, Leo was fine enough to walk despite his headache and he shut down his door and locked it, forbidding anyone to disturb him. He was too troubled to sleep a blink as his mind continued replaying the events.Tomorrow, when his head hurt less, he would meditate in his father’s room. He always felt at ease there.

At 4:15 am, a soft knocking sound was heard and Leo knew who was behind the door even before he called his name. He didn’t answer, pretended to be asleep until Donatello retreated in his own bedroom. 


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing Leo did after his headache faded away was to jump into his routine. Early and light breakfast and then, training. No one complained or wondered about Don being exempted from training. The fact was that the leader didn't call him, letting him sleep in. If Mikey or Raph asked, Leo would have argued Donnie worked all night and came back very late, but the truth was something lingered into him from the night before, a vague anxiousness he couldn’t shake off. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Donatello. He was his brother, he knew him since forever, trusted him, and even loved him. But yesterday, for a short moment...Leonardo had felt like he was facing a stranger. But now, the strong emotions had faded away and Leo only felt self-consciousness to have again acted as he was going mad. 

After the training, Leonardo retreated to his father’s room. Despite the still present sadness he felt to see this bedroom empty of his Sensei, it was a place he was at ease. With respectful movement, he unrolled a tatami and lit a few candles. He sat up in the lotus position and took a deep breath. He had to empty his mind of whatever troubling him in the last week, what had happened in the bar, and Donatello’s touch.

He focused on his father’s image, trying to reach him in this afterlife realm he was. His brow knotted in concentration, Leonardo felt he was grazing from the fingertip the soul he was longing to communicate with, but never achieved it. He tried then to focus on himself, opening his own soul to be touched by the spirit.

Though, he felt something he didn’t expect but was very familiar with; the cold sharpness of a blade. 

Leonardo snapped his eyes open; he knew the meaning of this vision. He had been slacking patrolling for too long. How could he indulge in sexual exploration when he failed his duty? How could he be afraid of hallucination to be carried by his brother back home when he was supposed to be a warrior, leading his brother in battle? Of course, they were supposed to help Casey fox up his bar, but it wasn’t Leo’s long-term goal to mop a floor. Perhaps he could start patrolling again with Mikey at first. Michelangelo was the turtle in need of the firmest discipline. Meanwhile, Donatello and Raphael could help Casey. Don was the one Casey needed the most. And Raph, in addition to being Casey’s friend, had the muscles to move furniture easily and was, after Donnie, the more talented at manual labor. Besides, Raph and Don needed some bonding time. They usually got along well, only clashing when Casey was making April complain. It was his duty to assure that his family and team didn't fall apart. He wouldn’t allow Donatello to threaten Raph and vice versa. He stared at his finger with deep frustration. The sting of the bite still hurt and he scowled. Maybe Don meant it as a romantic gesture, but it had been against Leo’s desire to keep their relationship at a normalcy level in front of the brothers.

Leo jumped to his feet. He had skipped lunch, but now he was hungry and he knew he couldn’t avoid Don forever. In fact, he didn’t avoid him, Leo decided. He only needed some alone time to reflect. He had no intention to take back his word to Donatello, but Leo only agreed they were taking it slow and slow it would be. With how badly Raph had reacted, they needed to stop and take a breather. They would only reach a new step when their brothers would be ready to accept it. The leader knew that in society, there people not caring about what their family thinks of the partner, but they didn’t have the same freedom. They couldn’t just move away to live on their own. How Mikey and Raph would survive without Donatello? He was the one making the lair liveable. It never happened to the leader to think that indeed, they were dependent on Donatello. Leo could be the leader, he wouldn’t be able to set up an independent generator and WIFI hotspot. They would turn as when they were toddlers, living in a scavenging hunt. Leo could survive the precarity, but Mikey couldn’t. Anyway, they were too close, used to be together, they couldn’t survive to be apart. This is why they needed to keep their bond solid because it was what was making them strong. 

They needed to get back on the basis of their life: training and patrolling. The mourning period was over and they were back. Leo would allow Raph and Don to help Casey for seven more days, but then, the human would have to deal with his own mess. If a man was hungry, don’t give him a fish, but show him how to fish, Master Splinter said. Casey, at 27 years old, needed to take his responsibility. Don would have to keep his hands for himself until Leo felt as the Fearless Leader he was supposed to be again. 

Determined, he walked to the kitchen. His mind was cleared and he felt more grounded than he had been for months. But he wasn’t as irresponsible to not ask from Donatello this medical check-up his brother suggested. Indeed, Leo couldn’t afford to have any stupid visions while racing and leaping roof to roof with his brothers. If Donatello gave him a green light, he would talk to his brothers about patrolling again. 

In the kitchen, no one was there. Leo made himself a roasted turkey sandwich. He chewed on it dreamily, wondering if April would stop delivering them food if they helped Casey. Probably not, April wasn’t a spiteful person and well, she loved too much Casey for her to be serious. If Casey could sell the bar...

“Good afternoon.” Startled, Leo snapped his head, meeting his genius brother’s eyes. “Did meditation help you?”

It was the same Donatello as usual, kind and caring, preparing his second coffee of the afternoon. Leo wondered for a moment if he hadn't been delusional. It couldn’t be Donnie, so proper that told him he wanted to fuck him on the floor. Leo troubled himself at the memory and took a sip of his green tea to get composure. The warm mug porcelain made his bitemark ache. He hadn’t dreamed.

“Yes, it had.” He took another sip, averting his eyes a moment. “Did you come back late?”

The leader felt silly to ask such a question when he knew the answer, but it was like speaking with Donatello wasn’t as easy as it once has been. 

“A little.” Donatello stayed silent until Leo made eye contact again. The brown gaze was calm. “I went to see you, but you didn’t open your door.”

Another uneasy silence stretched.

“I was asleep,” Leo lied. “It was a blessing, with such a headache.”

Donnie nodded with concern.

“Again, you scared us. I thought that…”

“You weren’t scared to the point to follow us!” The retort had been clipped. Don opened his mouth to argue, but Leo refused to have this discussion in the kitchen where everyone could walk on. Their relationship had made enough drama. He didn’t want to call it quits, just to suspend it until things came back to normal: The bar grand opening, Casey and April together, Raph accepting and the routine back on track. “You said you would check on me, are you free now for that?” Leonardo asked sharply.

“I am.” Don poured the coffee in his mug, his expression set in a careful neutral mask. “Now that you’ve stopped avoiding me.”

“I wasn’t-” Leo denied in a low voice. Meeting the skeptical look, the leader retracted: “Maybe I was a little… I-... I was just a little angry with you.”

This seemed to be a serious business because Don put down his mug and motioned him to follow in his lab. The moment they were in, Donatello shut the door, staring at his brother intensely, waiting for him to speak. The lab was soundproofed and now, if they wanted to have an argument, they could.

“I want to talk to the doctor first,” Leo said. “Then, I will talk to my teammate and brother, and at the end, at my lover. But,” he felt the need to add. Don had paled and Leo wanted to spare him any pointless stress. “I’m not giving us up, Donnie. I don’t mean this in a negative way.” He sighed. “I want to go on patrol again. I feel I have lost my purpose and myself in those past weeks. This is not what Master Splinter would have wanted,” the leader explained. “I miss the action, I miss knowing I’m helpful…” Don was staring, listening seriously. “Even just going outside for a drill...I miss the wind blowing on my face when I race a purse robber from the rooftops. It makes my blood run faster.” The more he spoke about it, the more convinced Leo was it was something he needed. “But I want to be sure to be fit to lead us outside,” he concluded. “The past two days…” he trailed off, knowing it was enough of an explanation. 

Donnie nodded in acknowledgment.

“Of course.” He motioned to Leo to lay on the cot. “ I’ll examine you.”

Donatello did his routine check-up with a bit more attention to his eyes. But after a while, he stopped with a sigh, putting down his instrument.

“I see nothing out of the ordinary,” he admitted. “Not with the equipment that I have, nor my knowledge. You know I’m more an engineer and an informatician than a physician.” He gazed at Leo with earnest eyes. This is something Don did often; beating himself up over his lack of competency when he didn’t find an immediate answer to something. But Leo smiled indulgently. If Don found nothing, no one would.

"Tell me again what you saw, " Don asked, taking his keyboard. "Where it was, when, and how it looked. Try to be as accurate and detailed possible."

It was something Leo had avoided even more than Donatello. But Don's inquiry made sense and so he tried his best to answer.

He closed his eyes and tried to remember. At the same time, the image flashed in his mind, an intense pain hit his head and he squared his jaw.

"She was a woman. I think she had red hair." Leo opened his eyes, staring at Don, guessing what was in Donnie's mind. "It wasn't April. I know it wasn't her."

"Even if she wasn’t there in flesh, maybe you were thinking of her?" Don offered, a finger under his chin. "For example, how mad she would be when…"

"I wasn’t thinking of her!" Leo snapped. “I’m not you to have her always in the back of my mind!”

Don widened his eyes, stunned by the outburst. Then, he frowned. "You more than anyone should know my so-called crush on April is a misconception. When we met her, I was fifteen years old and had never got to talk with a human in flesh. She was twenty-three and a skilled computer programmer and a science and technology correspondent for a newspaper!” he repeated, exasperated to try to explain that again. Indeed, Don had explained to everyone teasing him with it that he had no crush on April. But no one ever believed him. “She was a Senpai figure,” Donnie continued. “I was thrilled to speak with someone sharing interests with me. Every nerd is excited to find a geek soulmate.” He stared deeply into Leo’s dark grey eyes. “Are you jealous?” he asked gravely. “I think I made myself clear that you have no reason to be.”

Flustered, his heart pounding like crazy, Leo said that Donnie was getting silly. Don made a gesture to signify for Leo to keep going with what really mattered: his description of the vision.

Leo resumed his story, feeling his cheek burnt in shame to look so stupid, but Don encouraged him to continue and handed him some papersheet for Leo to try to draw the apparitions. Don had gravely studied the drawing without comment, just a deep frown. But the leader didn’t speak about the dark stain on Donnie’s face the day before. He felt instinctively it would upset his brother. But he did tell about the people looking like they were drowning under the floor. Donatello had stayed unexpressive, but by his slight frown, Leo could tell his brother was deeply worried. 

“I don’t mean to play the wise guy, Donnie, but it doesn’t look like the sensation of looking through a cracked window,” Leo said. “I mean, maybe there’s something more.” Was he about to die? Was it brain cancer and Don was pretending to be stumped as he did for Master Splinter to spare everyone's feelings? Did Don know Leo had an illness in his brain and would die and so, proposed to romance for the remainder of his life? 

“Indeed,” Don uttered thoughtfully. “It must be something else...But your eyesight is right, you have no fever and…” He ran his hand in his face, glancing away. “This is the moment I hate the most to be a mutant. I don’t have access to the equipment I need to give you a real, professional check-up you would get from a real doctor. Everything is so complicated,” he huffed angrily, looking like he would pull his hair if he had any. “Even with the money, no one would deliver an electrode so you could pass an electroencephalogram! I said I want to be a support for you and well, here I am telling you I have not a single clue!”

Don wasn’t someone who indulged in anger or discouragement and the leader felt actually sorry for Donnie. As for him, Donatello has a burden, to be the one fixing everything. He stretched his hand to give a recomforting squeeze on his brother’s shoulder.

“Donnie. it’s alright, I have faith in you.”

The genius snapped his head to Leo, grasping his hand. 

“I’m sorry I don’t have an accurate answer, neither a med to suggest, but science is about testing a hypothesis. Mine is that something in this place triggers those strong reactions in you. If you stay here and nothing out of the ordinary happens, we will know that the bar is the problem, not you. Maybe I would see something by myself there. Then, it would be…”

“Do you think this place could be haunted or cursed?” Leo cut him off. “You know this place has a sinister backstory. The owners of this place lose their minds there. Maybe they saw something,” the leader suggested. He knew it was making no sense, but if science has no answer, why not?

In Don’s eyes something lit up and Leonardo guessed his brother restrained to mock him.

“You know me, Leo, I’m a scientist,” he said simply, “But tonight after patrol, I promise to investigate the place carefully.”

Leo was surprised, not about Don’s promise to investigate but about him wanting to accompany him on patrol. Don had always been less eager to patrol. Well, Mikey wasn’t that much either, but Mikey was resisting to stay and play or chill at home when Don would have rather been busy with something more productive, like doing machine or hacking satellite.

“Have you not said you would help Casey?”Leo wondered, getting up from the cot now that the examination was over. Maybe Don had changed his mind. Well, too bad for Casey, but Leo would use his veto to send Don back there. There was something obnoxious in that place and Leo would rather have his cherished brother by his side, as selfish it was.

Don rolled his chair to face him completely.   
  
“I said I do and I will. Since when I’m not keeping my word? I can do both easily.”

Leo frowned but before he could protest or ask, Donatello continued with a question that blew Leo's mind.

“I’m very serious about you, but whatever you said I’m not sure you feel exactly the same.” He watched Leo, his eyes sharp. “But the question is: can I trust you to be faithful?” Leo stared, incredulously. Did he hear right? “I’m sorry to ask such a thing.” Don chuckled awkwardly. “But Raph is jealous, Mikey could turn curious and since I won’t be home that much…” he trailed off.

“What do you mean by you won’t be home?” Leo asked, confused. “How could you be at Casey’s bar and patrolling with us all at once?”

“This is what I wanted to tell you yesterday before we got interrupted.” Don grinned, obviously not embarrassed about what had occurred between them and it reminded Leo why he had been angry with Don in the first place. “In the basement, I found access to the sewer. That means we can come and leave this place at whichever time. As you noticed, all the windows are covered. I can work there in the daytime and leave to be home for dinner. I’ll eat with you, go on patrol and sleep a few hours before heading to Casey’s place. As you know, I never needed more than four or five hours of sleep. Then, as humans do, I will leave after breakfast for my day of work.” Don’s smile turned loving. “You can make me a lunch box or a bento like a good housewife,” he teased.

Mikey would have found it so amusing, but Leo stayed dubitative. Normality and human things weren’t them. Besides, he didn’t like being called a housewife, even if he knew Donnie was mostly joking. It reminded me too much how easily he had accepted to be pinned down, getting ready to be ravished. 

“It’s only for a few weeks, maybe less,” Don added. “You know me, I’m a hard worker.”

“Yes, I know you.” Leo stood up and walked into the lab, trying to not look like pacing. He looked at Don intensely. Something was off, but he could nail what. “Hence I wonder why you are so eager to help Casey Jones, a man you never made a mystery to contempt.”

“Is it not obvious?” Don asked matter of factly, with a smirk. “For Raph to get out of our shell. After I set up this bar for his best friend, he couldn’t deny us anything and would stop all this bickering. Then, April will return to Casey… or not.” he shrugged. “But no one would accuse me to not have done everything for them to be back together and you will all of you stop annoying the shell out of me about my supposed crush on her.” He folded his arms. “But you never replied to the question. The one about me trusting you.”

“Of course, you can!” Leo snapped, bristled. “I can’t believe you could ask such a thing…I’m not that easy that I would kiss or do things with all my brothers!”

A ghost of a smile graced Donnie’s features.

“I know, but they could make you second-guess your choice to be with me.”

“I didn’t like how you talked to Raph yesterday,” Leo continued. This is the point he wanted to make. They weren’t done with the topic of if Donnie was allowed to work at the bar or not, but for Leonardo, now that he knew there was nothing obviously wrong with his health, this was the important matter. “I told you if our relationship was making too much trouble it was over. I remember also having said I wanted it to be slow for them to get naturally used to it. Still, you bite me like an animal at a place our brothers could see and even boasted about how you… marked me as yours or whatever! This is not what I call slow!” 

“You said we needed to be honest about our feelings. I told them,” Donnie countered calmly. “I also told them we won’t accept them to butt in. Maybe I had been too straightforward for your liking, but I made my point across. And about the bite…'' The brown irises ran down, landing on the digit, zeroing on the bandage Leo had put around. He narrowed his eyes. “I’m sorry about that, it was a vestigial instinct. It was either your finger or your nap. I just feel the finger would be more romantic because you will see it. But since Casey’s bar will become popular with my handwork, I will ask him for some of my share of the money and buy you something that would look prettier than a bite.” The chestnut gaze turned more intense. “Of course, not now. I will wait for your green light.”

“This isn’t necessary, your word is enough.” Leo replied, very carefully to not hurt Donnie’s feelings. His brother’s intentions were cute and stirring, but the leader didn’t need this to know his brother would always be there for him. To hang so much with April and talk to so many people on the Internet, his brother was maybe more into human customs than him. From all his brothers, Leo was the one the more withdrawn from the outside world, content to be a ninja in the shadow. But even if Don was getting slightly overboard, Leo couldn’t bring himself to stay angry. Donatello wanted Casey’s bar to be successful for the human to get back together with April and it was so much soothing the jealousy he couldn’t help but feel that he yielded. 

“You are allowed to work at Casey at day time if you want to,” Leo said. “But don’t overwork yourself...I can exempt you from patrol. In fact, it was my first intention to only go with Mikey. Raph would be more useful with you at this bar. I have no intention to lead a mission so quickly it would mostly be some drill...”

“No.” Don’s refusal was firm. “I’m going with you and Raph as well. I don’t need him anyway.” Leo frowned. Donnie’s tone was more assertive than it had ever been. “This is because I want to watch over you,” the genius corrected. “I don’t want something to happen to you topside. Mikey is a good brother and he loves you, but he is easily distracted. I won’t be able to focus on my work, knowing my boyfriend and beloved brother could be in danger, hit by an unknown illness.” He leaned over him, joining their forehead, caressing Leo’s jawbones. “I want to be sure you are fine.”

Leonardo could have retorted Donatello wasn’t that concerned the day before when he stayed behind but he didn’t. Donnie was staring at him with suck loving eyes that he swallowed his protest. But in him lingered a faint uneasiness so when Don tilted his head for a kiss, Leo stepped back, breaking the embrace.

“Fine then. Be ready at 9:45 pm.” He turned his back, in a hurry to leave. He wasn’t sure how to feel anymore. It was like every five minutes, Don was giving new vibes, but Leo couldn’t explain why he felt so. Donatello had listened to him, examined him, and had been loving. He had no reason to run away, but it was like he was doing that, walking stiffly out of the lab.

****

Running topside had felt good. Leo had realized he had stayed home because he was depressed and had been depressed because he had stayed home too long. Master Splinter wouldn’t have wanted him forgetting his duty to brood at home, he had decided. Everything was going fine. Donatello looked a little off, distracted, buzzing with unknown energy, but rather cold, like when his mind was on an experiment. He didn’t seem to resent Leo for the refused kiss, lost in his inner, genius world. But they got involved in the action earlier than he would have thought. It was only a drill he had announced at Raph and Mikey. But of course, if criminals were acting up in front of them, they couldn’t ignore it. Some Purple Dragon just stole a car and so they were chasing them. The gust of wind against his face felt refreshing, Leo was driven to get the car back before its end put apart. 

They had just arrived near what was probably the shady garage where they put the car in pieces and parts. This kind of mission was common; they all know their role. Mikey was the distraction, Raph and Leo the force and Don was the one driving the car away. But this time, it went so wrong. Instead, to stay covered, Don had jumped with them and had stayed with his arms slack. One of them had pulled a gun and Leo’s arm had moved from his own, carried away by his urge to protect Donnie: he had sliced the guy’s head off. 

The strike had been made in a smooth, quick motion before the man could shoot. Leo was taking so great care of his blades, that when the leader swung his katanas across from each other, he sliced the head as easily as butter, splashing blood on both Don and his face. The severed head rolled with a low, wet noise on the concrete as the body slumped, then fell on its side.

Adrenaline rushed to Leo’s head and he ambled over Donatello.

“Are you all right?” he asked, clenching his arms, but he was the one pale. To kill someone had happened to him in the past, but it’s always been something that had taken a toll on the leader. Now that they had experimented death and mourning with Master Splinter departure, it was taking an even deeper sense for Leonardo. Does this man have a wife or children that would wait for him? Would they wonder why he was late with anguish? How devastated they would be when the corpse would be brought in two parts. Would the body need to be sewn to be buried? The cold hand on his forehead kicked him out of it but he could still feel Mikey and Raph heavy stares on his back. The other criminals had been scared off. 

“I’m fine,” Don wiped some splatter of blood on his face. “You saved my life. Those katanas of yours are really sharp.” He had no the slightest emotion in his voice, except a very faint tremor. Maybe he was in shock and Leo felt shame. He could have only made the guy drop his gun? Why had he been so reckless? Of course, Don had been in danger, but was it the only reason? “But I think we can drive the car closer to where it was originally and call it a night,” Don continued. He looked expectantly to their other brothers to be sure to have their approval. They both nodded and Mikey was staring at the head with such a disturbed expression that Leo felt overwhelmed by self-hatred. Why it had went so wrong?

They were still waiting for the leader to give the order and Leo gave it breathlessly.

“I’m driving,” Raph decided, because he was probably less shocked. With robotic movement, Leo was about to get in the car when Don stopped him. 

“Did you have a vision?” Don asked. Leo supposed Don wanted to know if it was the reason for Leo’s crazy action. 

“No,” the leader admitted, too honest to lie. Now his brother would know how insane he had been without even a valid reason. Don nodded thoughtfully.

“It’s good. But I’m taking this in case.” 

To Leo’s horrified stupor, he bent over to pick up the severed head. 

“I need to do some experiments with the optical nerve. It could help me figure it out what’s happening to you,” Don said, in a clinical tone, so odd in this situation. He put the head in the bag he always brought with him, in case he saw any junk he could make something with, without waiting for Leo’s permission. He walked to the car and opened the door, holding it to invite Leo to climb over, in a gentleman attempt. In the car, Leo curled up the farthest he could from Don’s bag, while the scientist kept it dispassionately on his lap. The whole ride was eerily silent and at home, Don seemed to be in a hurry to work on the head and he went to lock himself into his lab. The three other brothers turned to their bed, all of them troubled. Casey had left many messages and Leo had heard Raph shouting to his friend that they won’t come back until “Fearless gets better or that you change this batshit uglyass name.”

  
The whole night he waited with a baited breath that Don come to his bedroom. They needed to talk and Leo wanted to apologize. Maybe Donnie was done with him, a lunatic that was forcing him into collecting head to cure him from his hallucination. This idea was filling him with sorrow, but at some point he had fallen asleep, because when he woke up, a note was on his nightstand.

_"I'm at work, stay home and take care, I love you,D."_

Despite how normal and even lovely the note was, an odd anxiety knotted Leo's stomach.

  


  


  


  



	4. Chapter 4

It's been almost two weeks that Donatello was “working” at Casey’s bar. The first days, Leo didn’t mind it. Donatello had explained to him his reasons and Leo had given him his blessing. But at some point, Leo was getting worried about his brother’s health. About other things as well.

Donatello had always been a hard worker and an overachiever, but there were limits to all these extra-working hours. When Leo had spoken of his concerns to Raph, he protested that Don was always working, anyway. That he was busy with Casey’s bar instead of being locked in his lab wasn’t making a difference.

“The difference is that Donnie’s lab isn’t looking like a tornado disaster site and he is busy making upgrades on his equipment for our safety,” Leo retorted dryly. 

Raph didn’t make any sour comments about how Leo was always favoring Don. First, it wasn’t true. Second, in the last days, it looked like the hothead had become more accepting. The odd, old-fashioned courtship Donnie was doing had won Raphael, the softie, over.

With Leo, Donatello was all exquisite, polite, and sweet. Donnie had always been polite and kind, but there was a softness around the edge of his voice that he never had in public when he spoke to him. He didn’t try to kiss him, but during the meal, he would squeeze his hand at some moments, not hiding what he felt for Leo was different from what he felt for his other sibling. At least, this was what Leo had thought from Don’s attitude at first. 

But what won Raph and Mikey over, as trivial and cliché it was, was that every day after his shift at Casey’s bar, Leo would get roses.

Since Casey was useless besides moving furniture and mopping the floor, Don took him in as his errand boy. Among the errands he had to do for his bar, Casey had to stop by the flower shop. Leo liked flowers as a gift from Nature, but never actually longed to get them in a bouquet. But both Mikey and Raph, after the initial surprise passed, were awing every time. Don was offering his flowers in a way Leo wasn’t sure how to react. The first time, he had felt self-conscious and awkward and had told Donnie he didn’t have to do this. Despite that, the genius continued brushing away Leo’s uneasiness. But every time, Don was offering it in a way it was hard to scold him for. It was an offering out of love and Don, if he didn’t make a show of it, didn’t hide that Leo was the bouquet recipient. The leader was clever enough to understand Donnie’s reasoning. By a constant but not too flashy display of his feelings, he wanted their brothers to get used to them being in a relationship. Leonardo knew it was a wise, tactful way and well, a part of him was pleased with the attention.

Even so, Leo couldn’t help but feel something was off. Years of living with his brothers, training them, and leading them in battle had developed him a sixth sense about them. Don could be sweet and respectful, but Leo felt a barrier between them, a misunderstanding that didn’t exist before. Spending a whole day alone, Leo was replaying the events of the days before, trying to find rhyme or reason for Donnie's behavior.

Don would head home toward 6:00 pm with his flower and a half-smile. He would eat, talk with Raph about what he did at the bar, praise Mikey for the meal, and softly ask Leo if he had any migraine. The fact was that Leo had got none since the last time, Donatello had been right; something was triggering his migraines at the Headless Swamp. But if it had affected him, was it a good idea for Donnie to spend about seventeen hours a day there?

But Donatello seemed fine except...on patrol. Leo had wanted to continue daily patrol, the day following the severed head incident. If he wanted to return to be a respected leader, he needed to get back into action. Donatello didn’t say they couldn’t. On the contrary, he told Leo it was an excellent idea. despite his insistence to be there, Don was... distracted? Leo wasn’t sure what to call it.

Distraction on patrol wasn’t anything new for the genius. Don had never made it a mystery about how he would rather stay home, working on his projects instead of running outside after some bad guys. But Leo felt it to his bones, Don’s distraction was different. It was like Don… waited for something to happen, his mind miles away. Even if Leonardo had proposed Don could rest at home, the genius had insisted on tagging along and Leo had thought it was out of concern for him.

But... 

The first five patrols, when they had slipped up, Don had chosen Mikey as his partner every single time. It made the leader wonder. Why pick Mikey if Don was in love with him? Don’s whole goal to come with them was to watch over him because Mikey has attention trouble. What had happened for him to change his mind? How could Don watch over him when he was running with Mikey on the opposite side? Two days ago, the leader had snapped and said it wasn’t Donnie’s job to call the shots. Donatello had apologized and hadn’t protested to be paired with the leader. But the whole time, he had seemed to buzz mysterious energy, fidgety, distracted, and sighing a lot. Why wasn't Don taking advantage to kiss him when they're alone? Leo hated himself for having such thoughts, but the whole situation made Leo so uncomfortable that he cut the patrols short around midnight since then.

But instead, to come home, Don was now always in a hurry to return to Casey’s bar. It made Leo ponder a lot. If Don was so into him, why wasn’t he home more often? Would he not try to cuddle more or even share his bed? Leonardo had stated he wanted them to take it slow but to get deprived so shortly after having discovered how to be touched by someone else was a feeling so good was troubling him. Don’s overly-considerate courtship was making him crazy with a craving to be caressed, but there was no way Leo would admit that.

To Leo’s protests about him working so much, the genius had argued that the more hours he worked, the sooner it would be over. Above the bar, on the second floor, there was an apartment. Don had said that Casey had brought him a mattress and a sleeping bag and he could have a nap when he was too tired, but Leo wasn’t buying any of it. Don could sleep at home and go back to work after breakfast like normal people, but whenever he tried to breach the topic with Donatello, the few hours they could talk in the evening, the genius dodged it. Without straightforwardly refusing, it would have been too much out of character, Don always had a good reason to leave after patrol. After dinner, they would sit one hour in front of the television, Don would squeeze Leo’s hand and gave a quick peck on it, as some old-timers, but would have his way, despite how loving he was. Even more strange, despite that only Leo had suffered from these strange migraines, Donatello would refuse Raph’s help at the Headless Swamp. Leo had eavesdropped accidentally on a conversation a few days ago, on his way to the kitchen. Raphael was insisting again on going with Don. He could admit Donnie’s feelings for Leo now. He refused to stay on the bench for so long. The fact that he didn’t have news from Casey for days wasn’t helping, even if Don had explained they were busy and Casey had vowed as motivation to not talk to Raph until his bar was ready. Leo could relate, it sounded fishy, but why would Donatello lie?

“You aren’t the boss, Don. Leo is. I heard him over and over asking you to have me to help ya! Why are you so stubborn about going alone? Do you think you’re essential? You are getting kinda smug since you’re Fearless’ boyfriend.”

Raph was harder to dismiss than Leo so the genius gave him a straight answer.

“If you come, you’ll get in the way,” Don had replied in a clipped tone. “Also, Mikey would want to follow. I don’t want Leo to be alone, following you no less. Not in his state. I’m working for Casey but also investigating what could have caused those hallucinations.” Don uttered a long sigh. "Leonardo is still affected by Master Splinter's death. He isn’t quite the same since then. But the reaction he had... is very concerning. I’m just worried about him and think that you two should watch over him. I want to stay with him, but Casey would go into bankruptcy."

“State, hallucination…’, Leo hated those words and hated being seen as a fragile creature. It wasn’t something he was used to. Besides, he had never been one since then. But what made the feeling worse what that Don left Leo alone with Raph when he had seemed slightly jealous of him before? Was it because he didn’t care anymore? Of course, Raphael, despite his pride, knew Don could achieve more things alone than him, so if Raph had to stay home for both Casey and Leo’s sake, he will. 

Both Raph and Mikey appeared to have decided to side with Don. They seemed to have not noticed anything new or odd with Donatello. They accepted to stay home, trying their best to entertain the leader, as Leo was the one acting strangely. There was no wonder for that; Donatello had told them Leo had health issues and since Don had never been wrong as a doctor, they believed it. Also, they were now acknowledging they weren’t merely brothers, but also lovers. Whatever Don said was for the leader's sake and he couldn’t be gone most of the time, if he brought back flowers, it was because he cared, according to them.

At some moment, Leo wondered if he wasn’t the one overthinking it, but it wasn’t long that the now-familiar uneasiness and doubt-filled him. The roses weren’t cutting it; it was as a gift you gave to a hospital bedridden friend. Don was avoiding him and Leo thought he knew the reason: Donnie had changed his mind, disgusted by Leo turning delusional and slicing someone’s head, and wanted to be alone to seduce April. This is why something was off, Don was shutting himself down, Leo could feel it. Usually, Don was honest and always shared his thoughts with the leader. Even when Leo had questioned about Master Splinter’s health and if there was nothing to do, Don had replied with tact, but also sincerity. But now, he felt Donnie was hiding something from him and avoided Leonardo to be sure his eldest brother doesn’t read the truth in his eyes. Leo was sure to know that truth: Under the pleasantness, Donnie was over his crush on him and was only hiding it to spare Leonardo’s feelings, since he was thinking of the leader as ill. 

Leo was done wondering. If Don wanted to call it quits, he could say it! This is why the leader had been so hesitant into getting into a relationship with a brother he lived with. He had known it from the start, it would only bring trouble.

Tonight, he will get to the bottom of this matter.

Don never told them about where the secret passage was exactly, but Leo wouldn’t need it. He’ll follow Don at night, after the patrol. It wasn’t like he had to bend to any rules, Don was his medic, but Leonardo was the master of his brothers now that the father was dead. Last week, Don had taken a more assertive tone with his brothers. Raph was right; Don could act gentlemanly with him, but he was getting smug. And it’s not a change the leader liked.

Leo was about to get in his room to meditate. The patrol was scheduled for 45 minutes from now and he needed to try to get some peace of mind. But he stopped on his track, hearing a mutter coming from inside his room. One of his strongest points as a Ninja was how silent he was and he got closer to the door. The door wasn’t shut and he peeked in.

On his bed, Donatello was sitting, Leo’s katanas on his lap, mumbling about something. Leo peeked more and his eyes widened in astonishment when he realized what Donnie was doing. He was polishing the blades and Leo pushed the door fully open. Now, as it wasn’t enough Don felt independent and went sneakily against Leo’s orders, he dared to touch his katanas and enter his room? If there was something the leader was possessive of, it was of his swords. 

“What are you doing?” he exclaimed. 

Don’s eyes glanced up, not all disturbed to have been caught red-handed.

“I wanted to clean, sharpen, and polish them for you.” Donnie uttered in a hoarse voice.

Does Donnie think Leo was so ill he couldn’t do a simple task anymore? Besides, Donnie’s whole attitude lately seemed to suggest Leo was a helpless little girl and he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“I will take care of them by myself, thank you.” Leo spat angrily. “I sharpened and polished them this very morning as I do every day, for years. I don’t need any help!” 

Don’s eyes gleamed, and his tongue flickered up as he wet his lips. 

“Indeed, I could see how you are careful with them.” Donatello turned one of the katanas in his hand slowly, admirably. “They are...very nice.”

Anger took a back seat as Leonardo processed what Donatello just told him. Don never cared for Leo’s katanas. The genius barely cared for his bo. They weren’t tech enough for him. Why this sudden interest for them? It wasn’t like they were anything new. It was the same katanas their father gifted him with when he was eleven years old. Donnie wasn’t making any sense.

“I think lately anything besides me is interesting,” Leonardo snarled. “This bar, your work, my swords…” he enumerated. Then, he realized how petty he was by how Don stared at him. Those feeling were in the way, Leo decided. But it was too late. He wouldn’t be able to let go of Donnie without heartache and regrets. He was in too deep to break up and stay the same, the leader realized. With time, of course, it would fade away. They had been brothers for two decades before turning lovers for a few days. Eventually, things would set up the way they were before Master Splinter’s death. But now, it was troublesome; there was this awkward moment when they got walked in on, then, Raph’s tantrum and Mikey’s teasing. Those awful visions caused by his migraine. It was a red flag in itself. Don had backed off and maybe Raph had been right from the beginning. Their touching had flustered Leo that much that it had been the cause of Leo’s migraines. And now...his horniness and jealousy were making him act out of character. He’s not the leader that he was supposed to be. He will not become clingy with Donnie.

“What do you mean?” Donnie asked, putting aside the swords. He still had this slow, husky voice he had sometimes. “Are you second-guessing us again?” He frowned like he couldn’t understand Leonardo at all. “I think I showed my whole universe revolved around you? Aren’t you being greedy?”

Donatello looked kind of angry, while Leo stayed stunned a moment. But to be called greedy, when he got only roses, holding hands and white lies irritated him.

“How dare you, calling me greedy when you have been avoiding me the best that you can?” Leo was burning holes into Donatello, but he wasn’t fazed. “I know you are hiding something from me, I can feel it!”

The comment seemed to displease the genius even more.

“You are making things up, Leo. I’m only busy. Busy for us to have a better future,” he said in a scolding tone he never had for Leonardo. “If you were patient, you…” 

“No! Don’t dare to say it’s for Raph to accept us! He already did! You aren’t so eager to work at this place all alone by yourself for that! There’s something else! Don’t try to make me believe that this is to find out what caused my migraines! I don’t have them anymore and besides, you don’t care!”

Was he throwing a tantrum to Don? Leonardo was disgusted with his behavior. He sounded needy and he hated everything about the situation. 

He was so caught up in his thought that he didn’t have the time to dodge when Don stood up abruptly and seized the leader by the wrist.

“What is the matter?” he demanded to know, eyes blazing. “Since when are you not trusting me? And how dare you tell me that I don’t care when I’m working so hard for you, for this family!”

It was a point that Donatello had always been a hard-worker and that without his intelligence and diligence, they would have probably died years ago. Leonardo knew also that when Don was engrossed in a project, he was very hard to pull away from it. He would forget to eat, to sleep, that he has a family. Perhaps Casey’s bar was only another project for Don, a kind of playground. Maybe Leo was overreacting because he was feeling horny and he was jealous and he was ashamed of himself. The leader was about to reword himself but the bite to his finger took him off a guard.

“Are you forgetting your promise?” Don had bitten his finger again, so hard that he had drawn blood when the scar had just healed. “Should I remind you about it?” Leo stared back at Donatello like he had lost his mind. They glared at each other until Don broke eye contact.

The genius kissed his finger gently. The 180 was dizzying. “Maybe you are feeling neglected but I swear it isn’t because I don’t love you. This is work, it can’t be helped and besides that, I’m almost done...I only need a few more...days?” He smiled with tenderness, raising Leo’s chin. “It is about that? Are you feeling neglected? This isn’t my intention. Did you miss my kisses, perhaps? 

Don crushed his lips on Leo’s, opening them forcefully. But the leader didn’t resist long. Indeed, he had missed this part, but he couldn’t tell it without dying in shame. It was so humiliating to be so on pins and needles because of his hormones, something he wasn’t feeling to have three months ago. 

Don chuckled breathlessly into the kiss, but broke it, wiping with his finger the saliva at the corner of Leo’s mouth.

“You are the one having asked us to take it slow. I won’t lie, I want more of you as well, but I respect you too much for that,” he said calmly.

Leo felt still giddy and jello-boned from the kiss. He was aroused, he wanted more, but Donatello wasn’t feeling the same, despite what he said. What with this crap of respecting too much? He could be a virgin, he wasn’t a maiden and besides, they knew each other since forever. Even if he sometimes feels he was in front of a stranger lately.

Don walked to the door but stopped before leaving.

“After the bar grand opening...it would be different, I promise. Better. I’m going to get ready for patrol and work.”

When Don was gone and his gaze landed on his katanas on the bed, Leo realized that Donnie got away again.

****

The kiss was nice, but it didn’t change Leo’s resolve. The patrol had been the same, they fought some Purple Dragons again. Leo got distracted by watching if Don was and got a cut on his arm for his trouble. It was barely a scratch, the knife grazed the skin, and after, when the battle was over, he would have forgotten about it if Don wouldn’t ask him to give him his arm to get his bandage.

Donatello seemed anxious to leave, but this time, Leo wasn’t feeling troubled. He was determined to find out about what was holding Don there so much. When he called it a night, they split in the sewers. Don’s going to “work” and Raph, Mikey, and him returning home. The moment they reached the lair, Leo made a beeline to his room pretending he was tired. No one questioned it, but Raph and Mikey shared a concerned look. Don must have told them something about him losing his mind or whatever. Nevertheless, they left him be and at the minute the leader felt the coast clear, he sneaked away from his room and then, the lair. 

Don hadn’t told him about the secret entrance, but Leo didn’t care about it; it would be used as the last time. It didn’t even brush his mind that Don could be angry with him. Leonardo had been raised as a leader, making decisions people were forced to accept. Anyway, he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was going to see his brother’s work. Donatello had never minded to show them any of his projects.

He lifted the sewer plate open when he was under the alley behind the Headless Swamp. On his way, he didn’t see Donnie. But it didn’t surprise him, Don must have about 30 minutes ahead of him. But, when he opened the back door using his picking lock skill, he was surprised to see the bar plunged into the darkness, except for some glowing tank in a corner of the room. 

His heart raced as he walked in, looking around with his cellphone flashlight. Wherever he lighted, the bar seemed brand new. Casey had probably put some money in. The whole place had been cleaned, but also, fully furnished with new tables and chairs, very stylish. There were even three pool tables. All had been decored in the spooky atmosphere Casey wanted for his bar, but now has a more fancy eeriness than a dusty mess. Indeed, the place seemed close to its grand opening. It was amazing to see how much work has been done with Donatello alone in two weeks

The light effect coming from the tank in the corner, between the main entrance and the pool table, was mesmerizing and Leo got closer. Dark objects were floating in the glowing purple water. The leader felt a beam of pride to see how much of a good job his brother had done, despite another part of himself who was anxious to see his brother not there yet. Was he busy gathering some tools? Was he busy with April? He couldn’t help but wonder with jealousy. 

But his jealousy was forgotten when he figured out what was the darker spots were. Floating into the glowing purplish slimy-like water, doing an uncanny dance, they were heads. About twenty severed heads looking at Leo with dead eyes. Of course, he could see they were rubberized heads, so maybe fake, but the fact they were oddly familiar tightened his chest with anguish. All of them looked like Purple Dragons or some familiar criminals they had encountered in the last years. Then, one floated in front of him and his whole body froze, seeing the features of this one. It was the head he had sliced two weeks ago. The one Donatello picked up to “make an experiment to find the source of Leo’s migraine.” Did he? Then he used it as a decoration? It couldn’t be.

He wanted to run, but he felt as his feet were nailed to the floor. He looked down, to see what was preventing him to run, and with terror, he realized someone coming from the floor was holding his ankle. It was a pale, red-haired man. He wanted to talk but only some bubbles of mud were coming from his mouth. But Leo knew instinctively what the man was saying; help. Did he manage to get his feet for a moment? How could hallucinations have a grip? But then a black woman was holding his feet again and now there were two, holding him still and begging for help and Leo dropped his phone to unsheathe his katanas, trying to slice the ghostly hands gripping at him from the floor. 

“Leonardo!”

Don was standing next to him, anger but also worry twisting his face, the bag he was holding dropped on the ground. Leo looked down and felt horror flood him in him. The bag Don had been holding was drenched in blood and within the purple lightning, Leo could see a head sticking out of it. He immediately identified him like the purple dragon they fought earlier. 

“Murderer…” Leo mumbled, and he stepped back. He covered his head. In his head, he felt like dozens of voices screaming at once, drilling in like a metal screw. 

Don stretched his hand to touch him, but Leo slapped it away. 

“Don’t touch me with your bloody hands,” Leo stammered, taking another step back. “You’re crazy, why are you doing that…I don’t recognize you.”

One moment Don’s face was confused but then he took his serious, professional face.

“Leonardo, I told you to stay home,” he said as if Leo was mentally challenged. “What are you doing here? This is not good for you.”

“Stop talking to me like I was your delusional patient or a child! You want me to stay home to kill and dismember people! I thought you were fooling around with April, but I would have never imagined you will be doing that!”

Part of Leo realized it was making nonsense. Donnie was sweet and the peacekeeper of their family usually. Why would he do that? But Donatello was acting weird for weeks and Leo was sure of what he saw. The ghosty stain was back on Donnie’s face and his headache worsened. He could hear howl terror in his head and he groaned in pain before dropping on his knees, next to the head standing out of the bag, still bleeding. 

“Why are you doing that,” Leo was trying to get up despite the high-pitched screams in his head. Regardless of his horror, he didn’t want to fight Donnie. They were brothers, they loved each other, whichever kind of love it was. He had to use Don’s legs to brace himself enough to stand up.

“Your legs, Leo... What did you do to your legs?” Don was shocked. “You cut yourself.” He ran a hand down his face as he was devastated. “Oh my god, Leo. What happened to you?”

Leo glanced down; his legs were covered in small cuts he did while trying to slice the hands.

Next thing he knows he was pushed down on his plastron, his hand twisted behind his shell.

“I’m calling Raph. I gave these airheads one job and they aren’t able to do it properly,” Don muttered in a totally Don’s way. Leo stared unsure, glancing around. If Don was calling Raph in there, he would see the heads too. Does Donnie didn’t want to hide what he had done?

“The heads…” His plastron was getting colder by the second. He felt like freezing and struggled, but Don tightened his hold while speaking to Raph above him. 

“Yes, he is here. Of course, he’s delusional again!”Don snapped. “I told you there was something bad in the air he was sensitive about, some fungi, or I don’t know what.” 

“I’m not delusional!” Leo protested. 

Don sighed, a tremor in his voice. “I need to make the whole building sanitary for him, but it’s not ready yet. I didn’t find the source of his migraine, neither. Maybe I did too much manual work and slacked on the research.” Don’s voice sounded like a caring boyfriend as well as a concerned doctor. And of course, Raph would believe him. “It’s very important you watch him better. You know how Leo is, no consideration for his health. He must not come back here until I’m done.”

Don hung up and for a moment, there was only the panting of Leo breathing that broke the silence.

“I don’t know what’s going on in your head Leo, but for the last time, there’s nothing between April and me,” Don finally said. “What should I do, for you to understand it? I don’t have the slightest feelings for her. I’m setting this bar for her and Casey because they are family friends. I work better when I’m not distracted, that’s all. You know me.”

Donatello was speaking with reason, but Leo still felt something was not right.

“The heads,” he repeated.

“I sculpted them,” Don said as it was obvious. “Because of Casey’s stupid idea of a flashy horror-themed bar. I had made some special effects I’m also proud of, but I will show them to you another day.”

“No.” Leo tried to suck in a deep breath to calm down. “I recognized them. It was the…”

“Of course, it could be I was inspired by some human I met during my runs,” Donatello conceded quickly. “But they’re nothing to be scared about. It’s fake. Besides, you know I would never hurt you.”

He nuzzled Leo’s neck, before kissing it from behind, but it didn’t prevent Leonardo to notice Don had said “you” and not “someone.”

“I can’t believe you were silly enough to run here out of jealousy,” Don chuckled breathlessly, a kind of laugh unusual for him. “It’s very cute, but you shouldn’t do that anymore. Not until everything is ready. It’s dangerous for you.”He kissed his nap again. “I hate to see you like that and restrain you against your wills. How about I come home earlier, today? Would it appease you? We could kiss again…”

To be called cute in this situation and offered some quality time as it was enough for him to forget what he had seen was aggravating Leo, but the mention of jealousy reminds him of someone.

“Where is Casey? Did you kill him too?”Leo growled. It would explain why Casey wasn’t answering Raph’s calls anymore.

“Casey is only working on daytime.” Don seemed shocked by Leo’s suggestion. It wasn’t cute anymore. “He is supposed to help me and come here at 7:30, but his lazy butt wouldn’t be here probably before 10:00.”

“I don’t believe you!” Leo shouted, thrashing on the ground. His whole body seemed overwhelmed by the cold coming from the floor. “I’m freezing, let me go!”

But Don pushed on him with all his weight and despite his panic, Leonardo noted how heavy Donnie was. They have trained and spared enough in the Dojo for the leader to know what should be Donatello’s weight.

“I won’t! You will hurt yourself again! It’s just cuts, but who knows what you could do? Raph and Mikey would be here in ten minutes or so. You will go home, I will stay here until Casey arrives, give him my instructions for the day and leave.” Leo stopped his struggles on the ground. Donnie was talking as if Casey was indeed alive and well, he couldn’t deny Don had indeed worked a lot here, as he had said he was. And April was nowhere to be seen. “You need a check-up. It’s true, I neglected you too much. Except for the fake heads, what did you see? I need you to describe it the best you can.”

It was so a Donatello’s question that Leo replied with sincerity, explaining again about the people into the floor.

“Their features are blurry…” He tried to tell with all the details he could. “They want my help.” Suddenly, Leo understood what he was seeing. “I think they are ghosts. The ghosts of people killed by the previous owners!” He made the connection quickly in his head with the newspaper articles. Over him, Don wasn’t laughing. Leo could hear his heavy breathing. “Those ghosts seem like swimming because their bodies got dropped in the swamp! What if the first owner was the serial killer…” An image flashed in his mind. Donatello has a bloody head in his bag! It wasn’t rubberized! It was freshly severed! He turned his head, the only thing he could move to look at it. But as if Don had guessed his intention, he made the head roll away, under a pool table. He must tell Raph.

As they had been summoned, Raph and Mikey were there, pale and staring at them with wide-eyes.

“Tonight, back at home, I will heal you.” Don released a part of his hold, but Leo was too frozen to move. “But for now, you have to bear with this.”

Leonardo felt a sting in his neck and understood it was a syringe.

“It’s a tranquilizer,” Don explained either to Leo himself or for their brothers. “With that, he will sleep for about ten hours. I will be home by then. Today, I will finish early. If he wakes up before my arrival, don’t believe anything he could say. And I’m taking those away before he hurts himself more.” 

Donatello stood up, taking away his katanas and Leo tried to resist despite the immobility his body was in.

“The heads, Raph, the heads,” he mumbled, his saliva too thick to form words. 

Raph gazed at Leo with deep worry but made an uncertain smile.

“I know, this is so fucking creepy! This is because of this damn ugly ass name, the Headless Swamp.”Raph pointed the tank. “He had to put in some heads to look like they’re floating into a swamp!”

“Don made up spooky decoration because Casey wants a horror-theme bar, this is fake, Leo.” Mikey looked admirative. “Shell, Dee, you did a very good job! No wonder you are so tired.”

None of them seemed to consider the heads could be genuine and Leo let himself being picked up by Raph because he couldn’t fight it anyway. Was he delusional? He met Donnie’s sad but loving gaze and for a moment, he doubted himself. But by how tight Donnie was holding his katanas, Leo remembered the comment made earlier in his bedroom and how Donnie all of sudden was worshipping them. And he knew he was right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> art by NT and Oasis. Other arts to come


	5. Chapter 5

Leo was half-asleep when he heard voices coming from outside his room. 

“Damn Don, you look like shit.” It was Raphael’s voice. He seemed concerned and Leo was fully awoken at the sound of it. “I think Fearless is right for something; maybe you are overdoing it. I know you do that for Case because he is my friend,” he continued, a little awkward.” But, from now on, I think you can slack a little. The place is almost ready and…”

“Indeed, it’s almost ready, a furthermore reason to not slack.” Don seemed exhausted, but there was no doubt in it. He was very stubborn to continue to work until the grand opening. “I pushed myself a little today, that’s all. But I was worried about Leo. How is he?” He sighed. “I wish I came earlier, but something held me up. I ran back here as fast as I could.”

“He is sleeping.” It was Mikey now and while they were talking, Leo gathered his memories. A chill ran down his spine, thinking back of the severed heads and what had occurred the night before. “What is happening to him, Donnie?” Mikey’s anguish was perceptive. “Does migraine could do that? Or...is he losing it?”

A short silence followed and Leo’s heart raced faster. It seemed Mikey had asked the question they were all wondering. And well, if he had to be honest, he wondered the same. 

“He kinda lost his marbles when Master Splinter died,” Raph said thoughtfully and a corrosive feeling of betrayal burned Leo. “I told you, Donnie, he was acting strange, but you told me it was his way of coping and I had to respect it,” Raph accused. “You should have checked on him when I told you and he was still not too bad, but no, you were too busy thinking about sticking your dick!”

“Master Splinter’s death, even peaceful and easy to expect, had done a number on each of us, that is true,” Don agreed coldly, probably insulted at the accusation. “But it’s three months old and I don’t think it could explain Leo’s erratic behavior or hallucination. Leo is positive he sees ghosts.” Don paused a moment to let his brothers proceed with the information and the leader had no trouble imagining their stunned face. He blushed with shame. “If it was related to Master Splinter, I think the vision would happen here where he had lived or at least, related to our Sensei.” Another silence stretched. “I never looked for anything sexual, I assure you. I wanted to express my feelings because I was choking holding them back. To help Leo to feel better was what I aimed at. Having him loving me back is even more than I ever dreamed, I assure you.”

Again, Donatello sounded very professional and caring, not at all like he had a severed head in a bag, the day before. In fact, Don was as he always been; serious and loving. 

Leo got retaken by self-doubt. Was he crazy? Was he delusional? Did he make the whole thing up? Even if he wasn’t feeling that way, he had to admit that Don slicing heads wasn’t making more sense.

“I got this,” Don said with confidence. “I have a hypothesis of something that could help him. But, I need to not be interrupted. Also, I know you are bored to stay here babysit Leonardo.” 

The leader clenched his teeth, humiliated. He was positive he didn’t need to babysit. Don was the one making a big deal of it. He sat up in his bed, determined to make his point across, but a dull ache made him glance down. 

His legs were covered in cuts and Leo gulped, remembering how he got those. He slashed himself for getting free from some ghostly grips. Maybe Donnie was right to be worried. He had acted as a lunatic. But it had looked so...real.

“This is why you will do something for me,” Donatello continued. “I ordered some furniture and appliances for the apartment above the bar. I need you to move them. It would need some fresh paint before. I got the time to paint the bedroom, but…”

“Why furnish this apartment?” Mikey asked. “You did enough, already. The bar is all that Casey needs.”

“April kicked Casey out, right? He needs a place to live,” Don retorted matter-of-factly. “He couldn’t stay forever at his father’s place. “If he doesn’t come back with April, there’s no way he will find another girl if he lives at his father’s. He is challenged enough,” he snickered. 

“He isn’t,” Raph protested but with less passion than usual. Even if he didn’t exactly voice it, he felt Casey made a big mistake with this bar. He probably realized that Casey was more relying on Donnie that he needed Raph’s friendship and probably his pride was wounded.

“Did Casey win the lottery or something?” Mikey wanted to know. “I mean his bar had quite an impressive upgrade, bro. I know you’re good at tech and stuff, but those nice couches and pool tables aren’t something you could buy with only a brain.” It was indeed a relevant question that had grazed the leader’s mind when he had stepped in the bar the night before. “It cost him some five figures. I thought he was broke and this is why April ditched him.”

“I gave him a loan.” Don’s tone was flat despite how unexpected was what he just said. How Donnie could have enough savings to give a loan? The little money they have has been found in the sewer or on gang members they had knocked out. Donnie repaired stuff for April or April’s friends by himself, something that Leo supposed wasn’t earning him more than $2,000 a year. And Mikey was right, the place had cost much more than $10000 in furniture and renovation. The money never mattered for Leo. If his brothers could eat and stay warm, Leonardo didn’t need anything else. But the fact Don never told him about saving riled him up. It was the secrecy, not the money that bothered the leader. “In exchange, he will share his future profits with me,” Don concluded. “I’m likely to have my money back in less than six months.”

Leonardo hears the disbelieving gasp from his brothers and himself walked with great strides to the door, without thinking. He had moved so fast that the drug still lingering in his bloodstream made him dizzy, but he still swung the door open.

“And please, don’t talk of April as she was a golddigger,” Don continued as he didn’t announce something so shocking. “He is the one having acted like a gigolo for too long.” 

But for once, Leo was too incensed over a real issue than his petty jealousy over April.

“How could you have done that, Don?” he shouted. “How do you have so much money, to begin with, and then, how dare you waste it on such a money pit without even talking to us about it?” The leader demanded to know.

Don frowned after the surprise to have seen Leo barging in, faded.

“This isn’t a money pit, Leo. I can make this place work and I will. I earned this money with my hard work and I’m an adult. I never thought I needed to ask permission.” Something shifted in the walnut gaze. “Also, this isn’t like it was for me only. It would benefice our whole family. You know me, I’m serious and reliable and never, ever didn’t keep my word when I said I could make something work. Are you not trusting me?”

Donatello seemed drained to the point of breaking apart and well, part of what he just said was true. Don was never wrong. If he wasn’t sure of something, he wouldn’t hazard his savings.

But why did Don hide he had savings, in the first place? That would mean Don wasn’t only hiding things from Leo for a few weeks, but for a few years. The idea was unbearable and it prevented him from answering the affirmative at Donnie’s question. Something like defiance must have shown on his face because Donnie sighed.

“I rushed over here for you, Leo. I’m glad you are awake. We will have a little talk. But after coffee.” With a heavy step, Don walked to the brewing machine, and Leo felt Mikey and Raph's stare. He could easily tell what was going on in their mind. Leonardo was the leader and so, if he was opposed about something that they also feel unsure about, they would follow him. But Leonardo had shown weak spots lately and also, it was Don Leo was facing. It wasn’t like it was Raph’s or Mikey’s proposition. Donatello would never engage in anything foolish and they knew it. This was why Leo and Don never argued before. At the question of if they were trusting Don, of course Mikey and Raph would say yes. Leo too, but with now some reserve.

Something was off and this time, it wasn’t him being delusional. His brothers heard him too. They must agree that Don hoarding money and spending it on Casey’s bar in addition to working so hard on it wasn’t making any sense. 

“I think you helped Casey enough, now.” Leo detached every word to look composed. “As your leader and older brother, I’m very disappointed you didn’t even discuss the matter with me and took a decision recklessly, by yourself.” Leo didn’t add that as Donnie’s so-called mate, he was feeling betrayed. But Don had turned toward him, listening to him, arms folded while waiting for his coffee. “We are a family and every decision a member takes has an influence on us as a whole. Raph is allowed to help Casey if he moves. Mikey could go if he wants too.” Leo gazed intensely at Donnie. “But you are going nowhere Donatello before you give me satisfying answers.” Leo raised his chin. “Also, I want my katanas back.”

“I had no intention to leave today. I told Casey I will take a day off,” Don retorted calmly and Leo was surprised in a good way. Maybe everything was alright, and he clung at this hope one moment. “I wanted to be with you. Also, you need a second physical.” Don stared at Leo’s legs and the leader felt the same heavy look from his brothers. “Until I got satisfying answers as well, you won’t carry lethal weapons. I brought this.” Don waved a bag from a hand and a screwdriver from the other. “I’m putting a lock on the kitchen knives drawer. I want to be sure your environment is safe until I’m positive you are fully healed.”

“I’m not a toddler for you to babyproof the lair!” Leo shouted indignantly. This was taking the cake. “You’re the one dangerous, not me!” He spun around, interpelling Mikey and Raph. “He is killing people and collecting their heads! He wants my katanas to slice more of them!” he yelled. “He knows I know and tries to make me look as I was going mad.”

At this, they all took a desolate expression. They weren’t believing him, he realized. Of course, they weren’t. Leo accused their brother Donatello to be a psychotic serial killer. Don had always been more reluctant to fight. His bo was more of a defensive weapon. Don kicked himself out of his shock.

“The only recent decapitation I saw had been made by you,” he countered quietly and Leo paled at the evocation. “And you were deeply upset, afterward, right?” He didn’t wait for an answer to continue. “This is why for your sake I seized your swords as the doctor of the family, knowing what is the best for you.” Don was speaking softly, but Leo felt every word as an acid on his pride. “You can be my leader and oldest brother, Leo and I respect you deeply, but as a medic and your partner,” Donatello put emphasis on the word. “I have to stand against you. I’m sure Mikey and Raph would agree with me.”

Sharply, Leo turned to his brothers. Raph and Mikey were both averting their eyes and flushed with anger Leo left the kitchen. He walked straight to his room and decided to meditate the pain away.

He sat on his tatami mat and shut his eyes, but he couldn’t reach any peaceful state of mind.

Now, all his siblings thought he was crazy. Was he? He had to admit that everything seemed to validate Donnie’s theory. Leo had harmed himself. His cuts were stinging but he could have done tenfold worse. He still remembered his frantic struggle against the ghostlike hands. How could he have believed they were real? But he had felt them. Could a hallucination be felt? 

Leonardo missed Master Splinter deeply, but never his absence had ached at this point. Never Leo had felt more at lost and lonely. From the moment they knew their Sensei was about to die to recently, Leo had Don’s support. But now, he was alone. What worth is his leader title if his brothers have no faith in him?

With all his might, he focused on trying to reach Master Splinter’s spirit. He was almost there, where he felt an obnoxious presence near him. He snapped his eyes open and his first instinct was to draw away, despite Donatello’s soft expression.

“I’m here to disinfect your cuts.” Don sighed, leaning against the frame of the door. He was holding a first aid kit. “I feel you don’t want me around and that hurt. But it’s mandatory your wounds don’t get infected and your health matters more than my feelings. Do you allow me to take care of it?”

Stiffly, Leo studied Don from his position on the floor. Donatello seemed like Donatello and also, he knew Don was right. But it was still with a certain reluctance that he granted his permission. Why, he can’t help but wonder. Why was his heart racing with anxiety as Don slowly kneeled next to him?

“Easy…” Don gazed at him with sorrow, stretching a hesitating hand. His every move was slow and careful and his voice comforting, as Leonardo was a feral beast. “Calm down, Leo. I won’t hurt you.”

Leo let him care for his legs, uneasy and nervous despite how tenderly Don was. 

“I know you are mad at me for your katanas,” Don murmured. “Please, understand me. I love you.” He looked at him earnestly. “You accused me of...awful things.” Donnie gulped, disturbed and upset and the leader wondered again if indeed, he was losing his mind. Awful things were an understatement. He had accused Don to be a serial killer, dismembering bodies. “Then, I saw you harming yourself. I’m sorry Leo, but your behavior crossed the line; I can’t let you wander around, even less with such dangerous weapons.” He stroked his cheek gently. “I don’t care if you are furious at me, if that means you are safe. I suppose you don’t like to be without any weapons, so take care of my bo, for me.” Leo noticed the bo resting on the door frame. “You are naturally gifted with any weapon. I know you can do more damage than me with it, and I will be relieved you couldn’t harm yourself with. Please take it, even if patrol in your state is out of the question.”

“You think I’m crazy…” Leo mumbled, debating with himself. Donnie was speaking with sincerity, he could feel it. But he was still humiliated to be treated as he was an irresponsible child. 

“No.” Don kissed him on the forehead lovingly. “You have a hard time. Many things happened at once and well, I had been a neglectful boyfriend. But tonight I want to make up to you. I need to show you I love you because seeing you acting so scared around me breaks my heart."

A silence stretched. 

"I managed to get Raph and Mikey out of the way for the whole evening.” Donatello licked his lips. “It could be an opportunity to...take from where we left. We won’t be interrupted,” he concluded, his voice husky. “I want to make you feel good and loved.”

The leader locked eyes with his brother. There was no room for misunderstanding. From worried, Don had turned horny in ten seconds flat and even if it was uncalled for, he felt some anticipating butterflies in his stomach. If he had to be honest, the moment before Raph barged in was his last happy memory. 

“I know you wanted to take it slow and I tried to do so, but my idea of courtship seemed to displease you. Tell me what you want, Leo and I will try my best to give it to you.”

The words, the voice, the expression were full of genuine adoration and Leo felt his anguish fade. He was indeed very ill if he thought that Don could be such a monster. Donatello was the less likely person to be like that.

“Did you changed your mind again and decided you couldn’ be with me?” Donnie asked, desolate. “I would be very unhappy to hear that, but I prefer the truth and will accept your decision.”

Don was very upset and a feeling of guilt stabbed Leo. He had hurt his brother deeply by his erratic behavior. But Leo had been hurt as well and it was maybe time he voiced it properly. They were alone as Donnie said and Leo needed to open his heart.

“I… I want you to take me seriously when I say I saw..people that aren’t real. I know it seems crazy. I know that...ghosts don’t exist in such a form. But...it seems so real, Don. They were grabbing my feet and…” 

Leo told the story again with even more detail and this time, he spoke about the ghostly stain floating in the bar and on Don. He even spoke of the bag and what he believed he had seen. When he was done, he locked eyes again with the genius and this single thing asked him more courage than a fight, afraid he was to read judgment in them. But Don only hugged him. 

“I don’t want to see that anymore, Don,” Leo said, after they break the hug. “I want...I want you to stop focusing on this bar. “Leo couldn’t help but spat with resentment. “And focus on a way to heal me.”

“Go on your bed,” Donnie said, with a light kiss. “We will try another form of relaxation that would help you.”

Leo had been so much touch-deprived that he eagerly went lay down and Don did the same, laying next to him. They caressed, kissed and tasted each other for a while. They were both acting like they were in a frenzy, showing how thirsty they had been to share this moment of intimacy. The leader must admit it was good to feel Don in his hand and felt Don’s hand on him. He wasn’t alone anymore, tortured by the memory of such disturbing images. He wasn’t feeling like freezing like in the bar. He felt warm and loved. There were both jerking off the other, face to face while making out. Don was panting, his cock in Leo’s hand was twitching and leaking. He was close and Leo was, too. The leader was about to tip over the edge, when Don drew away, removed Leo’s hand and loomed over him.

“I don’t want to reach climax like that,” Don explained with heavy breathing. His hand ran down Leo’s thigh. “I want to go all the way with you, tonight.” He kissed Leo’s left hand, the one with the finger bitten, and flashed a hopeful smile. “Can I ?”

Leo stared silently. Don’s demand was to expect. If the last weeks had been normal, if Casey never bought that bar, they would probably be at this point in their relationship. They were adults, knowing each other since forever and aware of what they were doing. Mikey rooted for them and Raph had grown more accepting. But...Casey bought that bar and even if Leo was delusional since then, Donnie was acting weird. What they just had could have felt good, the leader was feeling confused about a lot of things. He felt vulnerable enough and his thrust wasn’t 100% back. He wasn’t ready to have Donatello have his way with him. There were still too many things unsaid between them.

Don guessed his hesitation and he frowned, his loving expression shifting into something darker. 

“I will make you feel so good, you will forget about this. I’m very skilled with my hands,” Don boasted and Leo couldn’t help but raise an eye ridge at the pretension. This arrogance was new. “I have been wanting to do this for ages…” Donatello admitted, arousal obvious on his features. His whole body was above Leo’s in a way to prevent him from leaving, but Leo stayed there. Arousal was dimming him, but he refused to be bullied. He would confront Donatello because they both needed this talk. 

“I’m not ready,” Leo said quietly. “I think this is rushed when you tell yourself I’m sick…”

“Your sickness isn't incurable. I’ve studied this case a lot more than you’ve given me credit for, Leo.” Donatello bit the finger again, bursting the bruised flesh, but Leo was getting used to it by now and wasn’t startled or rather, had enough will-power to not show it. As the other time, he sucked on it, seeming to be more and more turned on, when Leo grew colder. “There is a strange occurrence in any ghost encounter reports that the one who saw them is either a virgin or a very sexually frustrated individual. I’m not into such superstitions as you may suppose, but I looked into different, credible sources,’” Donnie explained in a neutral, clinical voice, but with a hint of excitement in the undertone. “It’s enough of a common occurrence to be called it a fact, actually.”

“So? That has nothing to do with me in specific,” Leonardo protested, but he was pressed firmly down into the mattress as Donatello crawled over him. Don looked very pleased with himself, giving off a confident vibe he usually never had without a wrench in hand. It was giving Leo some weird, mixed sensation in the pit of his stomach.

“To enter my turf and start putting your nose where you shouldn’t, you must have been very horny for my cock, am I right?” Don had his low, dark chuckles and Leo froze, confused by the quick change into Don’s personality. It was like the time he had told he wanted to fuck Leo, in the bar’s office. “This is what you asked, twenty minutes ago. You don’t want one to see those ghosts again.” Don a weird, threatening grin. “If you aren’t a virgin anymore, you would stop seeing them, perhaps. I want to validate this theory.”

By the gleam in Don’s eyes, Leo understood how serious his brother was. He attempted to get up.

“I told you I will heal you!” Don pushed him down forcefully, using his body weight to keep Leo pinned down and grasped his wrists. “You will like it, stop playing hard to get! You are wet for me, don’t deny it!” 

Any arousal had left Leonardo. Donnie’s body was heavy as he had been at the bar, impossible to bulge and Leo wondered how Don could be so strong all of sudden. The weird icy wave was pouring out of him, again. With a sharp knee, Don spread Leo’s legs open, keeping Leo’s both wrists into his single hand while the other was busy between his legs. The grip was so firm, Leo could have mistaken it for a steel cuff. He couldn’t break free. Don was about to get the upper hand on him except if Leo decided to put his whole power in this fight and break bones, but then, Don would be hurt, something Leo was reluctant to do.

Where was sensible and kind Donatello? 

The leader asked him twice to let him go, fighting the forceful caresses. But Don was only more determined to force himself on him, trying to soothe Leo by some nonsense about loving Leonardo so much.

Panic was starting to spread into Leo, as Don seemed to not at all listen to him and was trying to get Leo in the mood. The leader decided to at least make a last attempt to reason him. Don was still his brother, even if he didn’t recognize him anymore. 

“I told you no!” Leo growled. “And acting this way, it would not be only not now, but no forever!” he threatened. Maybe now, Don would understand he was about to cross a line.

“You said you loved me,” Don snapped, his eyes blazing. It was so strange to see him so angry, Leo got the chills. “You made me fall for you, but you misled me! You don’t love me at all!” Don shouted with rage and pain. “Why no one could love me?” he added, despair lacing his voice.

At this, Leo dropped his guard a moment. It wasn’t at all what had happened. Don had been the one confessing his feelings, making Leo fall for him. And what with this “no one could love me?” Was he referring to April? He wasn’t even jealous, anymore, just deeply disturbed.

A burning sensation filled him as Don had taken advantage of Leo’s wonder to breach him and the leader tensed in pain. Donatello had dared!

“Sooo gooood.” Don sucked in a deep breath. “I will get in slowly, don’t worry. I’m not a monster. I want to make you feel good too. I want to treasure you. You didn’t like my flowers, but you will love a good dicking.”

Donatello was maybe two inches deep, just the tip of his cock, and was gazing fondly at him. Despite Donnie’s promise and supposedly considerate manners, Leo was furious and it was an understatement. He had told Don no very firmly. If Don was getting any further, it was rape, something Leonardo couldn’t forgive.

“Take it out!” Leonardo hissed with anger. “I told you I don’t want to! Try again without my consent and we’re over! I won’t even want to look at you again!”

He tried to kick Donnie down and put much more force in his struggle to get free to show Don how serious he was in his refusal. Leo didn’t expect Donatello’s next move. His hand squeezed the leader’s throat into a vice grip. 

“I always wondered how felt a living being’s body from the inside!” Donatello was a low, deep, threatening, rumble. “Indeed, you feel amazingly warm and alive. I can feel your heartbeat in the thigh muscles. It’s fascinating.”

Leo stared, shocked by the violent gesture and the cryptic words and Don used the momentum to sink deeper. He tried to speak, but the grip on his neck turned stronger.

“But if it’s too much of a bother and you refuse to be made love to, I could go with a dead body, too!” Donnie snarled. “You won’t be able to refuse my love, then.”

The face looking back was still Donatello’s, but the eyes were maniacally wide and were glowing with something so evil as Leo knew it instinctively. It wasn’t his brother there, no he was sure of it. It was a stranger, an enemy and Leo didn’t even have to restrain himself to not hurt Donatello, because he wasn’t Donatello. Leo knew it in his guts: he wasn’t Donatello for weeks, but he knew enough about Donatello to pretend to be. 

He couldn’t breathe anymore and Leo shut his eyes, relaxed his body and fell into a deep state of meditation. With all his might, Leo called Master Splinter’s soul support, slipping far away from the bed when a monster was trusting and grunting in and out his limp body. A soft heat, like a candle flame, glowed in him, warming up his body against the freezing sensation and when he felt he had reached his whole body, Leonardo acted.

Leo pulled himself forward and, with his own head, he bumped Don’s one to make him lose his grip. Then, he hit his temple with his elbow full force, to knock the person into Don’s body out. He jumped out of the bed, barely hissing in pain at how sore his lower body was feeling, before reaching for the bo leaning on the door. In one swift move, he smashed it on Don’s head to be positive he won’t go after him, but not enough to kill him. Donnie’s body slumped to a side and Leo ran as a lunatic out of the lair. The person into Don’s body would remain unconscious enough for him to go topside. He won’t join his brothers. They were on the belief Leo was crazy and imagining things, thanks to Don. Leo supposed that when they would see that Leo had hit Don, they would be even more convinced Leo had gone completely mad. Don would make sure they believe it, because obviously the evil spirit in his brother has a secret agenda and wanted to be sure Leonardo didn’t mess with his plans. For that, he needed Leo isolated and at his mercy.

He knew here he had to go, not only to be sure if he was right and not crazy but also to save Donatello from whatever was possessing him. He needed to see someone intelligent and who knows Donnie very well and knew Leo as a rational being, but also, someone Donnie wouldn’t guess too fast he was at her place, because he was supposed to jealous of her.

Twenty minutes later, Leo tapped on April’s bedroom window. She opened fast.

“Leo!” she exclaimed, her eyes red-rimmed. She had been crying. “It’s been a while I tried to have a talk with you!”


	6. Chapter 6

“So, this is exactly what had happened,” Leonardo concluded, warming his hands on the tea mug April gave him. The cold he had felt earlier was slowly fading. “I know it seems unbelievable, but I swear is what happened.” He hadn’t given too many details on the rape. It was still hard to proceed, but it had really happened, Leo realized. He couldn't call it from another name. He only said that Don had been insisting too much to the point to try to force himself on him. Leonardo wasn’t able to admit more than that. It wasn’t his own pride that shit his mouth, but also, Don’s honor because the real Donatello would never have done that.

“I believe you.” April stared down, at her own mug. While he was telling his story, she had made a few very shocked faces, but there was no hint of doubt in her eyes. “I didn’t get to talk with Donatello for over two weeks. We had never been not in touch for that long before.” Leo frowned, surprised. Indeed, Don and April without speaking daily were calling or seeing each other at least four times a week. “I was dealing with my own problems and supposed he was giving me space,” she continued. “I called him yesterday. Our conversation didn’t end well.” She sobbed quietly. “I wanted to tell him to give up that bar. I thought he was helping Casey for the sake of my relationship, but...I know he never approved of my relationship in the first place.” She had a sad chuckle. “But I didn’t see Casey for weeks, and well, I was ready to forgive him if he sold the bar. I knew Don had made renovation and upgrades and I supposed Casey would have learned his lesson and not lost too much money thanks to Don’s help…” She looked up, gazing at Leo seriously. “He is treating Casey like a slave. You will say that it’s normal since anyway, it’s Casey’s mess, but...Casey told me he was so tired that he started seeing things. He told me once he saw two Donatellos. When I asked him what he meant, he said Don was awesome and such a hard worker and he had hung up. So, last night I called Donnie to tell him to cut Casey some slack, and that bar wasn’t important. He told me…”

She snatched some kleenex and wiped her eyes. 

“He told me to stay away from this place or he would kill me because I was upsetting his lover,” she cried out and Leo paled. “I thought he meant Casey!” she blew her nose. “I thought I had lost my boyfriend to my best friend, the worst nightmare of anybody! I guess it’s a relief that it was you! But...Donnie never spoke to me like that! He was always considerate!”

Leonardo realized that what he had been worried about, had happened because of himself. He just told April he was in a relationship with his own brother. It wasn’t because he cared for himself, but he didn’t want Don and Raph being judged for Leo’s own selfish choices and losing their friends. But April wasn’t looking judgemental, just relieved. It was still concerning Don had gone that far that threatening her. She must have been distraught by that and Leo felt a stab of guiltiness. Indeed, he had been so jealous of April, refusing to believe what Donnie had claimed for years: he wasn’t romantically interested in April.

“This proves my point, it couldn’t be Donatello. You know Donnie for years,” Leonardo urged. “Telling he would kill you isn’t him at all. He could be sometimes sarcastic, he barely gets angry at anything.”

She nodded earnestly. 

“We both agree that that bar is taking a weird importance into Don’s life. He tried to get me to stay away from it. He seemed to have good reasons for that, since like I told you, I saw what looked like ghosts and he said he was concerned for my health…” He looked thoughtfully at April and was relieved she seemed like believing him. “There’s something about this place, but I can’t go there, one because I need to be sure I’m sane and understand what is happening to me and second, Don would be wary of me. If he saw me there, he would make sure to lock me up.” He tried to dismiss the memory that he had been threatened by Don too. It was impossible for Donnie to try to hurt him. There were moments the real Donatello seemed there with him. Whatever possessed Donatello’s body it had no full control over it. Or well, Leo liked to think so, it was a more bearable theory.

“How it could have happened, Leo?” she wondered, her face expressing deep concentration. “You know I’m more a scientist, but I agree with you. This is not Don and something is off about that place. I had seen the pictures. It wasn’t even looking like that. But it’s not about it decaying... There’s this horrible, shady past about that bar too. How could it have happened? How does possession work, to begin with? Why Don?” She ran her hand in her hair nervously. “Why are you the only one seeing those phenomena?” she exclaimed. “You said they asked for help, right? But who were they?”

April’s intellectual curiosity switch was turned on, but Leo stopped her. 

“You can’t go there either, April. Don told you to not to and even if I doubt he would harm you, I think it would be for the best you stay away,” the leader explained, very upset to have to warn her against his own brother. “I have another mission for you : try to know everything about this place and the former owners. Go check old newspaper archives at the library. I will do my own research from my side.” Leo stood up, putting down the mug. “When is this grand opening? I will come back this day to see you.”

“Next week. For Halloween.” She wept. “The little had heard from Casey, Don had planned that everyone with a costume could have two free drinks and play pool for free. For people to get enticed to come and get to know the place. I told him I doubted it was a good idea. One drink could have been enough but…”

Suddenly, the phone rang and they froze. There was something obnoxious about the ring and Leo knew instinctively it was Don. He glanced at the wall clock of the small kitchen. He didn’t bring his phone, to be sure to not get tracked. 

“It’s him,” April said, hesitating to take the call. 

“Answer the phone like you are still angry at him. You didn’t see me.”

She nodded stiffly before taking the call. 

“Hello,” she greeted coldly, eyes locked with the leader as to draw from it some comfort and Leo smiled encouragingly. “No. I didn’t see Leonardo. You told me to stay away from you and I did.”

Leo got closer and tried to get a glimpse of what Donnie was saying- or rather the one who had Donnie’s appearance. Understanding what he tried to do, April moved the phone from her ear for him to hear the conversation.

“...is sick. Those hallucinations made him believe I want to harm him. He knocked me down and ran away. I’m very worried, April. You must tell me the truth. Who’s know if he couldn’ attack you or hurt himself?” Don urged.  
“I didn’t see him,” April insisted, forcing her voice to sound angry. “If you acted like a jerk to your boyfriend like you did with me, no wonder Leo is angry with you!”

A silence followed and Leo felt a pit in his stomach, understanding April’s mistake. Don was too smart to not have caught it.

“I never told you Leo was my boyfriend,” he said, his voice monotone. “Not that I was ashamed, but I wanted to break the news to my family first. So, who told you?” he asked flatly. 

“Casey did!” April piped, but it was no good. There was a hint of nervousness lacing her voice that Don would notice. Carefully Leo stepped back, mouthing her a silent goodbye. “Anyway, the point is I don’t want to know about your fights with him, when you keep my boyfriend like a hostage…” She continued, trying to sidetrack Don, but it was no use and then, after having repeated thrice hello, she hung up.

“He hung up,” she said, trembling with fear. “He is probably on his way here.”

“Casey isn’t sleeping at the bar, right? Go to Casey’s father! I will find a way to meet with you next week.” He didn’t like at all to wait one week. Don’s soul or mind was somewhere else out of his body, and waiting was making him fear to lose Donnie for good. 

“But where would you go?” she asked, worried for him.

Leo gave her a reassuring smile.

“I know a place Don would not find me, neither be able to force his way to.”

Without further explanation, he leaped down the balcony gracefully and started running. He had stayed blurry on purpose. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust April. But who knows? Don could find a way to make her speak more than she intended to. Anyway, the fact was that he wasn’t even assured where to go exactly, even if he had a good idea. It was a piece of information he never shared to his brothers; he wasn’t even sure why.   
Easily, he snatched a hoodie and a pair of NYPD pants from a tourist shop without being noticed. It wasn’t hiding him entirely, but he looked too normal to be noticed if he moved fast. He waited for the good moment and the good spot and he lifted a subway grate, using his tanto blade he had managed to hide under his wristband from Donatello. He jumped on the top of the passing metro. It was dangerous, but the best way to be sure Don wouldn’t catch him, either Raph or Mikey.

After a twenty minutes ride, he arrived at the good station, under a very posh neighborhood. With a scowl, he watched the very “looking like all the others” building. Escalating it without his usual too was impossible and Leo sighed. He couldn’t believe what he was doing. He didn’t even have his katanas and even with them it would have been foolishly dangerous. But if it was the only means to save Don, Leo was ready to take it.

The Foot were well aware of the mutant existence and so, Leonardo rang, asking politely to see Miss. Oroku. When he named himself, he wasn’t surprised the door opened and a dozen of her minions were already ready to tear him apart. 

But Karai had given orders and so, he was alive when he was introduced into her office in a black and white room in a Japanese style. She was wearing more casual clothes than usual, a white dress shirt and probably a skirt, not having expected the visit of his archnemesis, obviously. A bodyguard was standing in a corner. 

“Leonardo,” she hissed, glaring at him behind her desk. “How bold of you.” She narrowed her eyes and dismissed the bodyguard. “You are not even armed!”

He didn’t even hesitate and bent a knee.

“I’m here to ask for your help,” he exclaimed, knowing very well it was so audacious, Karai would have all right to behead him right there. “One of my brothers is in danger. In exchange, I will give you anything you want.” He looked at her gravely. “Both of you fathers died and with them, their feud. Nothing prevents us from forming an alliance.” He put more insistence in his voice. “We are both our clan leader.” She snorted in derision, but he pretended to not notice. “Help me and I won’t be your enemy, ever again. I don’t have my swords right now,” he huffed. “But they would be at your service at a snap of your fingers.” 

It was the kind of words Leo would have rather died than said, but the urgency to save Donatello’s soul mattered more than his pride. 

A short silence followed this declaration.

“I’m listening,” Karai said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta. Not speaking English Grammarly wasn't working. I tried to finish my story today, but I guess it's better in two chapters.

Leo snapped open his eyes and was confused for a moment, looking around him. He was laying in a bed that wasn’t his and in a much too clear bedroom. Why wasn’t he home? Then, a soreness at his lower back make him wince and he remembered: he ran away from the lair, from Donatello, and had asked Karai’s help.

For the Fearless Leader, begging for the help of his enemy, against his own brother wasn’t something he thought he would have done in his lifetime. But pride was meaningless in comparison to losing Donnie.

He had been so exhausted, he had a dreamless night of sleep, but now that he was awake, he remembered why he left in an almost blind panic. Flashes of disturbing images plagued his mind for a moment, making him feel sick, all over again. If Don was really Don, Leo couldn’t forgive him. But he knew that for Donatello’s own sake, he had to try to forget about it. If Don was aware of what had occurred between them, Donnie wouldn’t be able to forgive himself, too. 

It wasn’t Donnie’s fault; it was the one that took possession of his body and so, he had to not put too much thought into it. It would distract his mind of what he needed to focus on now: found out what had happened and how to bring back Donnie at his normal self. 

He had been relieved to see Karai listening to his request and then, explanation. If someone knew Leonardo wasn’t delusional and can’t be influenced by Don to think the opposite, it was her. She also had a guarded building and an army working for her. The people working for the Foot Clan weren’t only soldiers but counted also very smart people. People that could help him figure out what had happened to Donatello.

His chest tightened briefly with anguish. That something could happen to his brother had always been his worse fear. Their family couldn’t survive with one of them lost. The thing that stole away Don had chosen well; with his skills and intellect, Don was very precious. Also, Don’s words had always been considered as strongly as Leo himself. This is how that evil spirit had managed to isolate the leader. Don’s opinion was valued by their brothers and since Leo had acted very withdraw for months, his brothers could have thought that he was still grieving Master Splinter. Furthermore, Don had shown so much loving concern over him, that his brothers wouldn’t believe Donnie could have ill intentions or harm Leonardo. After Leo acting so out of character, in a troubling way, Don would be much more credible and so, have free reign to do whatever this creature planned to do, helped in his evil plan by Don’s industrious mind.

Leo jumped out of his bed and his eyes landed on a wall clock. His eyes opened in surprise seeing it was past 11 am. Leo never oversleeps but the last weeks had taken a toll on his body to the point that even if the situation was critical, even if he was unarmed in the middle of his arch-nemesis’ lair, he had fallen asleep.

He would have never imagined than once, he felt safer near Karai than Donatello, his quieter and more obedient brother. 

A knock was heard at the door and from the other side, a servant told him Mistress Karai wanted to see him. Leo was prompt to follow the servant. Did Karai found out something, already? She sent to bed yesterday in her icy way but by assuring him she agreed to help him, at the condition he was accepting to work as a mercenary for two years for her. Two years to work in a criminal organization was nothing in comparison to Donatello’s life. To taint his soul was nothing if that means Don’s would be saved. 

She didn’t greet him, her lips in a thin line, behind her desk. She went straight to the matter with her clipped voice. 

“While you were sleeping, I didn’t slack on the job.” She turned toward him a laptop. “Your brother is like me. In addition to all the work you told me he did, he had the time to set up an internet website.”

Leo walked the distance, leaning to check the screen. Of course, setting a website wouldn’t take three hours to a genius like Donnie. And with how eager he was for Casey’s bar to reach success, to have a website was mandatory, he supposed. 

“He is looking for staff,” she said, her nail tapping the desk. “At one week of his grand opening, he had no choice and must be in a hurry. Since your brother is a mutant, it isn’t like he could conduct an interview. The useless human who bought that bar would have to do it for him, then. He is likely to hire some pleasant to look at women.”

Leo understood immediately what Karai was leading.

“We can send someone there an applicant to spy.” He frowned, musing over that possibility. Of course, Casey could be still in love with April, if Karai had sent two pretty girls, they were sure to get hired. “But it would be dangerous.”

“It’s already done.” Karai stood up. “I asked two people to apply today. By now, one is already hired. The other is currently interviewed. I assumed that two spies would be better than one. They are both trained kunoichi, and one isn’t Asian. So your brother wouldn’t find it suspicious.”

Leo nodded, despite a bad feeling creeping into him. April’s sobs about Don’s death threat still echoed in his mind. What if something happens to these young women? They could be elite kunoichi, they were still innocent. 

“I have also other employees looking in the history of that place. They promised me a report for my dinner. But I decided I wanted to see it by myself, before.”

Leonardo looked up, stunned.

“ I think it would…” he started to protest, but Karai cut him sharply.

“You come here to get my help, I’m the one calling the shot,” she stated seriously. “There’s nothing to fear. We will ride in my limo with tinted window. The staff training is supposed to start that afternoon I heard. Your brother would not be there or if he is, he would stay hidden, not watching by a window on daytime.”

What Karai said made sense, but the anxieties in him grew, knotting his stomach. 

She stared at him gravely.

“I need to see by myself the surroundings,” she explained matter-of-factly.

Leonardo knew he couldn’t back off. She had got out of her way, helping him when his own brothers didn’t. He couldn’t chicken out without losing her respect and also, she was right. Don wouldn’t watch on daytime by the window when he was so busy. He had a brief thought for April; he hoped their friend was alright.

“Let do it,” he agreed slowly. 

***  
A few hours later, he was sitting by her side in a limousine, trying to not look too stiff when they turned on the bar’s street.

“We are there,” he said.

Even in the daytime, the bar looked obnoxious to Leo’s opinion even if he could guess it had been improved. The windows were not covered with wooden planks but thick purple curtains and his heart raced at what had been obviously chosen by his brothers. The name of the bar was engraved on a golden plate. Donatello didn’t change it, despite Raph’s pleas: it was still the Headless Swamp.

“It looks like any average shady bar,” Karai commented, looking slightly disappointed.

Leonardo could relate, the bar looked nothing extraordinary and now, Karai would think he was overreacting and making it up. But he couldn’t drown away the feeling of dread slowly overwhelming him.

“Stop the car,” Karai demanded to his driver.

“No!”

His heart pounding, he clasped Karai’s hand. He had heard something; like a call again. It was like the whole building was buzzing with weird, desperate energy. 

“Are you not feeling it, Karai?” he urged. “There’s something evil…”

His heart missed a beat as he felt compelled to look at a specific window like he was drawn by an invisible hand. His breath caught in his throat as the curtains were pulled open and Donatello himself was staring at him with a disturbing intense gaze as the blazing fire of Hell was gleaming in his usually tranquil walnut eyes. Leo didn’t even react, too stunned. He just gasped. How did Don know he was there?

“Drive!” Karai counter ordered and the driver pressed on the gas pedal. 

“Did you see? He saw us!” Leo said, unable to hold back the distress in his voice. Don’s appearance, so unexpected, had shocked him. It wasn’t random that Don had pulled the curtain at the exact moment. Leo still remembered the feeling he was forced to look at this window. Something linked him to what had taken Don’s body. But what? “He knew I was there! I told you! It’s evil!”

Donatello wasn’t even “him” anymore, but an “it.” Something dangerous and foreign and the scar at his finger throbbed, feeling like a ring of fire. 

“The windows are tinted,” Karai hissed. But Leo could perceive the agitation in the undertone. “He didn’t see us. Only a black car. He was probably wondering why a luxurious car was stopping in front of his shop.”

Indeed, Don didn’t see them, but he had felt Leonardo’s presence to the point he hadn’t care about his own safety, showing his mutant form on day time. He couldn’t have seen them, but Don wasn’t dumb. If a limousine with tinted windows stopped in front of his shop with Leonardo in, Donatello knew only the Foot could afford it.

He had been right to be dubious about that trip and the whole way to the Foot tower, he tried to understand what could have given him away. Did Don chip him with a tracker? It wasn’t making any sense. First, he would have remembered it. He had one already on his phone and this is why he had left it at the lair.

His eyes zeroed on his finger. It was weird how it had started to ache at the moment he went near the bar. Could it be the reason? How far Don could sense him? Don wasn’t aware where Karai lived, right?

Next to him, Karai was tense. She seemed to have at least shared a part of Leo’s stupor.

“There’s someone who knows about obake,” she said. “He is very well considered in Asia for his knowledge about supernatural creatures. I will call him. We have also had a report to expect and the two girls I had to send there would be home soon, too. Tomorrow, after having discussed and reflected, we will think of the path to take.”

Leonardo nodded, but couldn’t shake away the feeling of dread.

*****

At the tower, he was sent to the guest room as he was a toddler, needing a nap until the end of the afternoon. Leonardo barely restrained to show his frustration. He wasn’t the leader with Karai, since he had come like a beggar. In a way, he supposed that Karai was doing it for Leo to pull himself together and she needed also some time to think and call that person knowing about obake. Leonardo could be into Japanese customs and way of thinking, he didn’t believe in yokai a bit. But he had been raised with Michelangelo and Raphael who loved horror movies. He wasn’t someone believing in such things usually, but if people had been killed in that place, he could concede some ghosts could still haunt the place. Now that he thought about it, the ghosts he saw-if he could call them ghosts-never tried to hurt him. They weren’t evil, on the opposite, they had asked for his help.

A servant brought him a meal and he took a shower. He didn’t have the time the morning and he was eager to wash away the touch of “it” lingering on his skin. While rubbing himself clean, he tried to remember when Don had started to change.

In fact, Don had started to change from the moment he confessed his feelings before Casey bought that bar. The time Raph walked on them, Don had talked in a very assertive manner, before Leo himself. At the time, Leo had thought it was Don trying to protect him, but was it that? Even before Master Splinter’s death, Don was acting differently, or did Leo’s mind was playing a trick?

He stepped out of the shower and unrolled a tatami leaning against the wall. He needed to meditate on this and try to reach Master Splinter’s soul. Would his Sensei be too furious at him, to have joined their enemy clan? 

Leo closed his eyes and focused on his memory of the events. He was sure, the change was related to the bar. His eyes snapped open as he remembers vividly the voice murmuring at his ear to not “leave him” alone and the ghosty taint moving on the wall, beckoning him to the office. What if the ghosts had tried to warn him that Don was in danger? He remembered clearly now: he had felt danger and had rushed to Don, despite knowing he would get teased by his brothers for doing so. Then…

What had happened? Leo shut his eyes again, trying to remember and the rest of the event played like a movie in his head. He had swung open the door in panic and Don was holding a knife. A knife that had cut him, because of Leo. 

Leo had blurted he was sorry and then, had spilled his guts to Don, telling about his mutual feelings and Don had reacted oddly. What did he say?

Don hadn’t reacted immediately. His expression had stayed oddly blank, his hand slacks and Leo remembered having felt anxious. Donatello’s brown gaze was on him, nailing him to the floor.

“You love me,” Don had finally uttered slowly. “No one’s ever told me that.”

Leonardo remembered having found the comment weird, thinking Don was referring to April. But now, that he knew better about what the genius felt for April, he knew it wasn’t that. What if Don had been possessed at that moment? What if the “it” was talking about “itself”. 

Then Don had asked for proof of commitment and Leo had cut his finger and Donnie had turned a lustful beast, speaking to him in a way the real Don wouldn’t have. Then, he had bitten Leo’s finger, to left a ring, another idea Donatello would not have, and talked about courtship, something old-fashioned and pointless between two people so close since forever. Leo cursed himself for not have seen the signs sooner. 

The ghostly stain on Donatello’s face should have been a red flag, but Leo at the time was still believing the migraine theory. If Don could have been genuine in his first diagnostic, Leo guessed Don, from the moment he got possessed wasn’t that worried Leo saw spirits, being filled by a spirit himself and hence why he didn’t accompany him at the lair, something the real Donatello would have never done.

And working so hard for Casey Jones was an as big red flag. 

But then, they had the episode where Don seemed normal and this is why for so long Leo had believed he was the one overreacting and getting crazy. That and the fact Don wasn’t at home often, as he wanted to hide something, probably his evil possession. 

Now, he could have the hypothesis the knife and the blood had been a cause and indeed, it was from there Don had started to act totally out of character most of the time. 

But now the real question was: how to fix Donnie? 

If the same situation had happened at another of his brothers, Leo would have asked Donnie’s advice. But now that the brain was the one infected, Leo had none even another brother to ask for advice. They all thought he was a nut case.

The servant knocked again to take his plate back and told him her Mistress was waiting for him and it was “very important.”

The bad feeling retook him as he walked for the second time of the day to Karai’s office.

The head of the Foot was standing, her back to Leo, watching the street from her window.

“I got a package,” she said, her voice flat. Indeed, on her desk, a huge box was there.

His heart pounding, Leo walked the distance to the desk and glanced inside of a box opened on the desk. He took quickly a step back after having recognized what it was:

Two girls torso, or rather, a part of. The bodies had been sliced from the base of the neck to under the breast.

“Karai…” Leonardo started to say. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say. Apologies?

“There’s a note too.” She snapped her head toward him, his black eyes blazing. “Read it!”

With a grimace of disgust, Leo looked again. Between the two severed trunks, a paper stained with blood had been rolled.

_“I kept the heads for my project. Give him over or you are next. Leonardo is mine”_

Dizziness took Leo and he felt his mouth dry and like he was lacking air. Those girls had been killed because of him and terrible thoughts came to his mind, remembering April. She was more likely to be in danger than Karai and Leo would never forgive himself if something happened to their friend because he had run to her. This thing was tainting more and more Donatello. Donnie must never know what he did when he wasn’t in possession of his mind. He would be so upset and it was an understatement. 

“Karai,” Leo repeated.

She didn’t let him say he was sorry. Those kind of words were useless to such a steel-hearted soul.

“I won’t let myself being threatened,” she vowed fiercely. “This is personal, now. You don’t have to do anything for me after we crush this threat.”

****  
To wait a week had been trying for Leonardo’s patience. They did use the time wisely: they studied the bar blueprints to know all the exits. They also have read to the point to turn blind all the newspapers relating some crime to the Headless Swamp cold case, from the Swamp Murders in Pennsylvania in the ’20s to Cleveland’s torso slayer in the ’30s. It was easy to find the link between all these cases, in addition to the geographical proximity, thanks to railroads. All of these bodies had been dumped, most of the time in the river or the swamp, with their head missing.

The murders took a brutal end in the Spring of 1940 so long before the first grand opening of the bar, and so, one could think the murderer died. But Karai found a better possibility: the war. 

The serial killer was a man, that for sure and since all the victims had been tortured and decapitated alive, he must have been young and strong. The first victims in 1923 had been children and so, maybe the murderer himself was in his late teens at that time. They roughly supposed that the murderer must have been born between 1900 and 1908.

When the war started, he must have joined the front willingly or been enrolled the next year later. In any case, the first owner of the Headless Swamp bar, Lieutenant John Will Kemperson was a returning soldier who get badly hurt and have to walk with a walking stick as they could see on the black and white pictures from the 50’s newspaper. Kemperson was born in Pittsburg, in 1906. It was generally thought that the Murder Swamp killer road the trains along the Pittsburgh-New Castle-Youngstown-Cleveland route, and was possibly an employee of the railroads as Kemperson was before going to war. The murderer had left one footprint in Cleveland and it had been declared to be from a man over 6’foot and according to his military card, Kemperson was 6’3. They also suspected the culprit was bisexual but leaning over preferring men since almost all his victims were male. Kemperson never got married, it wasn’t proof in itself, but it was adding a layer. 

It was enough to point the finger at him as a suspect, but not enough piece of evidence to send someone to jail. Even if the first owner Kemperson was the murderer, what did he wanted to do with Donatello? And why was he so obsessed with heads? Leonardo could care less about such an old case. All those victims' relatives or friends were done crying for them, probably dead by themselves now. Anyway, most of the victims never got identified and Leo felt his chest tightening, remembering the blurred features of the ghosts he saw. They had been forgotten, dismissed in death as they had been in life and again, they weren’t in peace. 

They got a kind of answer, by hacking the NYPD files. The two previous owners, the one who got accused of 12 murders and the one who attempted to kill himself and sent into a psychiatric yard had given to the police similar answers, speaking about having a deal with the devil, offering a human head to the evil forces to have a year of success for their bar. It was crazy and maybe the second one got inspired by the previous one. Leo regretted not having April's journalistic sense to help him solve the mystery but April was maybe too much in danger because of him for Leo to risk her life.

“If this evil spirit did such a deal with the Hell forces, that means the current owner is in debt,” the old man Karai had introduced as his Yokai specialist stated. He was a very old man of about eighty years old. “You said that bar was closed for 38 years. That means he is 38 heads behind, hence why he went into a murder frenzy. He had to get ten heads by week to be ready for his Grand opening.”

Leo paled, thinking of the head he had sliced on patrol. Now, it was evident; Don had stayed exposed to be sure Leo strike the Purple Dragon. It had been two birds with one stone; Don had collected a head and, by the same way, could accuse Leo to be the one dangerous. A genius move. Now, all was clear, Don’s insistence to get on patrol was to get victims by spotting them. No, not Donatello, he chastised himself. It was it. It had nothing to do with his brother.

There were no fake heads in the purple tank; they were all genuine, rubberized to last longer, but for what purpose? To give Satan a more alluring offering? It was insane. But was it the reason there were ghosts in the bar? Their heads were hidden somewhere and not properly buried?

But after long discussions, with Karai and her closest advisors, the leader himself had known what he had to do.

“I have to go there by myself,” Leonardo declared. “These ghosts appear to me only, asking for my help. Also, I’m perhaps a danger for you, if I stay there. Even if it’s not my brother Donatello, it wants me,” the leader insisted. “It said it loves me. If anything, I’m maybe the only one safe there.” 

He still remembered the inquisitive hands searching him and the hard length forcefully penetrating him, but if Leo had, to be honest, it was nothing in comparison to get butchered as those poor girls had been.

“What do you mean by “even if is not Donatello,” Karai asked coldly.

“My brother Donatello and I were thinking to get into a relationship,” Leo replied trying to not flush. For human standards, he knew it was weird and even worse, unethical. So far, he had kept lowkey that aspect of the story.

“I see,” Karai said with a slight distaste, but it was a far milder reaction than the leader had expected. “Do you hold back other pieces of information as well as that one?” she asked crossly. 

Leo told the story again, but this time, he hid nothing, from Master Splinter’s death to when he runs away from April’s. The rape part had been the worse but he decided his pride wasn’t important.

“Show me your hand,” the old man said and without any hesitation, Leo stretched the one with the scar. He looked at it thoughtfully.

“The evil spirit in your brother’s body wasn’t born evil. He turned into a wicked man, by being denied, love. His soul was probably in that knife. In Japan, we believe in possessed objects as well,” he explained. “When you confessed your feeling to your brother, the spirit had already found an opening in your brother’s body, by the cut. He took the feelings for him and since he had never heard such sweet words as “I love you,” he decided to make a home in your brother’s body. Since this troubled soul didn’t know love, he courted you as he would have done when he was alive. If anything, he didn’t even know he is dead.”

“But I’m a giant mutant turtle,” Leo pointed out.

“The spirit could have made a home in your brother’s body, part of your brother’s remains. If not, he couldn’t have fooled all of you, for weeks,” he said in a kind tone. “The spirit uses what is valuable from your brother for his profit, but for that, they had to be in harmony, sharing a common ground. They are like what you could call roommates.”

It wasn’t something Leo was ready to hear.

“You don’t know Donatello at all,” he snarled. “My brother has nothing in common with such a lunatic individual.”

“Well, they both want to be loved by you. You also said that your brother often complained about being unable to provide you and your family better cares because you have to hide and have no money. Maybe your brother saw in that bar a means to have money, get delivery services without difficulties, and live in overall healthier conditions. You told us he was a very capable engineer. He could probably cover the windows and make other ones higher for you to get sun without being seen by the people from across the street. He told you that they were a secret entrance, so it even a safe place with a security exit if something went wrong.”

Leo paled as he remembered Donnie’s mention of the apartment above the bar. What if indeed, Donnie wanted to move there?

“I don’t know much about your country,” the old man continued, stroking his white bear. “But I think that back at the time, as everywhere, men offered an engagement ring. He gave you one and it was a wise move from him. Blood is the first food of those lost spirits. Blood makes them feel alive again and gives them force." Was it the reason Donnie had been so persistent to bite him? "He is bounded to you and this is why he sensed you earlier. But after being engaged, men looked for a home for their loved ones. That spirit tried to treat you right and it was something your brother Donatello was willing to let him do because he was thirsty for your love and commitment as well.”

“But what if they have a disagreement?” Karai asked, beating Leo to it. “What happens?”

“They could split,” the old man explained. “That what you call doppelgänger or “Double Walker.” When the spirit wants to kill, maybe your brother stays in that place to work. You said the work advanced very quickly.”

Leo remembered what Casey had said about having seen two Don, but in a way what the old man said was comforting. Donnie wasn’t the one slicing people up.

“The more he stays in your brother, the most difficult it would be to make him go,” the man added with intent. “But that Halloween night may be a good opportunity to get rid of him. But as you said, you will have to go back there.”

Leo nodded seriously.

“Alone?” Karai asked as she was worried about him. In another circumstance, Leo would have found her concern rather cute.

“He would not be alone,” the old wise man said, with a smirk. “The other ghost would be there to lead you,” he told Leo. “They were on your side all along.”  


Layouts: to better understand the next chapter.

  



	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta, no speaking English and fair warning, I was tired.
> 
> This is also my Don entry for Leo's week.

“Are you sure about this?” Leo asked Chaplin again. He knew Karai’s head scientist wasn’t a bad person and a genius in his field, but his field was usually more tech. And a serum to turn him human sounded very risky to him. 

“We tested it. Of course, as mere Tylenol, the effect may vary on people, but I’m positive you will keep a human appearance for around eight hours.”

Turning into a human was when he was young an unreachable fantasy. Now, that he wasn’t longing for it anymore, it was offered to him and by the Foot laboratory from all places. But the context was making it anything but exciting. The goal of it was that Leo could enter the Headless Swamp, without being remarked by Don, nor Casey, or his brothers or any human hanging at the bar Grand opening. He would look like a regular customer, but with his ninja ability and his knowledge from the place, he would be able to sneak in.

“It’s already past five o clock. From the moment the mutation is completed, it would last about eight to twelve hours. You have until 2:00 am.”

It was feeling like a twisted version of Cinderella.

“The spirits would lead you,” the old man had promised. 

Leo didn’t talk about Donnie’s theory that he couldn’t see the ghosts because he wasn’t a virgin anymore. He wasn’t counting on any supernatural help. 

They had agreed on a strategy with Karai. Leo’s mission was to sneak in the farthest he could to find the knife maybe back or whatever the soul could be interested in returning to. Then, he had to make Donatello get angry at his “roommates,” as Karai’s yokai advisor had called it. 

“The heads may be the key. Those people’s remains had not only not been buried properly but offered to an evil force. You have to make them return in peace. Water had killed them, fire could heal them.”

It was very sensible, in a situation so unreal, but it wasn’t like Leonardo could argue. He was ready to believe in anything able to exorcise that wicked spirit out from his beloved brother’s body.

It wasn’t like they had any choice. Leonardo knew what Don could do in that possessed state he was in and to wait so long already, when April, Casey, his brothers, and many other innocent lives were in danger wasn’t pleasing the leader a bit. 

“Do it,” he said, handing his arm. 

***

It had been painful and traumatic, but Leo was there, in the waiting line of the Headless Swamp. It was feeling like a dream, standing next to humans. Since it was Halloween, Leo had to put on a costume, even if being human felt already as a costume for him. To wear a ninja outfit would have been the easiest thing, but everything in Leo must mislead and so, it was very average, and even cheap according to Karai’s standards, Dracula costume. Leo’s human form was very pale and since he was dark-haired, it was the first thing they thought of and so, he wore a black plant, a white shirt, and a black cloak. His dark hair had been slicked with gel and Karai had sneered at Leo he looked like the kind of guy father-in-law loved.

Leonardo was immune to Karai’s sarcasm. What mattered was he could sneak in. He looked like any other man in the line, nothing distinctive in him. His eyes were still of the same hue, but it was nothing so obvious that Don would notice from a security camera. 

He drowned away the thought Don could felt it through a wall one week earlier. He clenched and unclenched his gloved fist, the feeling to have five fingers still foreign. With the mutation, his scar on his finger had disappeared.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about it. The feelings of the real Donatello had touched him, and still deep inside of him ran the same love for his brothers. But that scar wasn’t Don’s mark on him, not really, but the one of a dangerous stranger. If Don wanted to show his commitment, his brother could have forged him a ring with his blacksmith equipment. That would have been something Leo wouldn’t have minded, even if he needs no item as a reminder. 

The people in front of him advanced and so he did when he heard exclamations

“Such a nice turtle man costume, dude!”

Alerted, Leo raised his head. At the door, Raphael was there, acting at the doorman and it was with a pounding heart that Leo advanced in front of him.

“ID,” Raph asked, stopping him and Leo tended the fake ID Karai had given to him.

Raphael barely glanced at it, motioning to Leo to get in and his heart still racing in his heart, Leo stepped into the bar he didn’t set a foot in since he discovered the floating heads. Raphael didn’t recognize him, so he was good.

They were right next to the entrance, still floating in the violet goo and immediately, Leo was taken by the same feeling of oncoming dread. He tried to overcome it and walked more inside of the bar. 

The bar was already more than half full and Leo searched with the eyes any figures he may know as Mikey, or Casey or Donatello himself. It wasn’t long that he saw the same spectral forms as every time he stepped in that cursed place. They were swirling among the customers, unnoticed by everyone. But that time, Leo wasn’t afraid nor shocked. There was something much eviler that those poor lost souls in the Headless Swamp. And now that he thought about it, they had wanted to warn Leo from the danger since the beginning probably, when they told him to not leave Donatello alone.

He walked unfazed to the bar counter. He had to act like regular customers until the place got fuller and people drunker and more trouble handling. He has to order a drink, to melt better in the environment. He could go for a virgin one, without people getting curious about it.

The bar counter was crowded and people seemed excited by something about it. When Leo finally reached it, he understood why. Two robots were serving as the bartender and people were in awe. Leo wasn’t that surprised, knowing how robotic was one of Donatello’s passions and expertise. But Leo wasn’t as eager to get a drink, anymore. He discreetly glanced around: a few robots were walking, acting as waiters among the clients-and the ghosts. How did he didn’t see them before? The fact they were robots was obvious. They weren’t sophisticated androids like they have in Japan. Don must have assembled and programmed them in a rush. It was still impressive, considering all that Donatello already did. 

He counted them: they were two behind the bar and eight on the floor. The staff was only robots and Leo supposed Don changed his mind after the Foot spies, telling himself the robots he created would be more trustworthy. Or maybe it had been only a way to lure humans in-to get victim Don could sacrifice to the Devil he had a deal with.

No, he wasn’t Don, he corrected himself. It was “it,” Kemperson’s wicked soul.

But whatever the reason was, those robots were a bump in the road. Leonardo knew his brothers too much. He guessed his brother had put a security camera in them or other devices to closely watch what was happening in his precious bar. Or to spot Leo if he dared to come back.

Because Don knew him as well, he knew Leo wouldn’t drop it and come back, one day or another. 

Could Don suspect the Foot scientists were that advanced they could mutate him into a human and so Leo would come back among the clientele?

Sometimes, it was hard to measure how far Don’s tech could go. Around him, everyone exclaimed excitedly about them, telling how unique it was. Leo told himself that Donatello would have needed no deal with the dark force to make the place work. His skilled hands and industrious mind would have been enough.

Not having expected to face machines, Leo decided he needed to change his strategy. At first, he had thought of gathering information by listening to the staff conversations and then, in two hours or so, when they would be all busy, starting to explore the place. But, time was a luxury he didn’t have anymore. If these robots have a security program, to wait was useless. They were machines; they wouldn’t get tired or distracted. Anyway, to wait too long and return to his turtle shape in the middle of the crowd would be bad.

He turned his back slowly, determined to sneak away when a robot-waiter blocked him the way.

“Do you want to order a drink, Sir?” the robot asked.

“No, thank you,” Leo replied. “I’m looking for the restroom.”

On the robot chest, the green indicator light flashed and Leo felt it was a bad omen. Without waiting for an answer, he turned his back to walk to the restroom. The fact was they he knew where they were. He had studied the layout at the Foot tower and also, he came there before. To be sure to not be suspicious, he went straight to the restroom, locking himself in a stale. What if something in his voice had given him away? Vocale recognition was a thing and Leo wasn’t sure if his voice changed that much. He still heard it as it was the same. 

After five minutes, he got out and in a discreet and fast move, sneaked into the hall leading to the office, the janitor, the kitchen, and the staircases. His heart racing, he remembered the last time he went there. It was the day Don cut himself on that rusty, old knife. Again, Leo realized how difficult that mission was since his whole strategy stood on folklore. He wasn’t sure what he should look for first; the heads or Donatello? 

The office was just next to him and he turned the knob. Maybe Donnie was there, watching the camera security tape. But there was no resistance and he pushed it open. It was dark and the place was too narrow for Don to hide somewhere.

At the same moment he stepped back from the office, the door of what he suspected was the kitchen swung open and Mikey appeared. Both of them froze and for a brief moment, Leo forgot he was looking human and so, unrecognizable.

“No what a cool turtle man costume?”Mikey asked, his gaze studying him more seriously than he never had. Leonardo bit his lips. He had almost busted his cover by his lack of reaction to such an encounter.

“I saw another earlier,” he replied idly. “Sorry, I got lost…”

Mikey wasn’t moving.

"Run." Mikey's voice was so low, barely a whisper, but there was an urging hint in the undertone. "Don’t come back.”

“I can’t.” He didn’t know what had given him away but Mikey had recognized him. “I need to fix this. To get Donnie back.”

“He is waiting for you. He knew you will be there.” Mikey seemed genuinely afraid and it broke Leo’s heart furthermore. What did “it” do to convince them to work for him? “While you were gone...he changed.”

“It won’t hurt me.” Leo needed to reassure Mikey on that point. If anything, they have no idea of what was going on. “It's kind of liking me and Don is still there. Donatello would protect me. But we need to get it out of his body.”

Mikey nodded and stepped back into the kitchen as he didn’t see him and Leo realized he was now breathing more freely than he did for a while. The reassurance to have at least one brother on his side was making his heart flutter with hope. 

But he got comforted even more in his certitude that the one in Donatello’s body needed to be stopped.

He had no idea where Donnie could be and bravely he climbed up the staircase. Don had mentioned a few times that “apartment” supposedly for Casey. Upstairs, he immediately felt there was no one there, and so he turned on the light to better study his surroundings. He was in a modern kitchen, with high tech appliances that Leo felt hadn’t been chosen by Casey, by the number of function buttons on them. They looked pricey and Leo frowned. It was still somewhat mysterious how Don had that money he lent to Casey. What was even more bothering Leo was that it was something the “real” Donatello had hidden from him.

Upset by his own train of thought, he walked to a door that he opened. It was a bedroom, with only a king-size bed as furniture and two nightstands. The walls were from a plain white and Leo supposed Don was less advanced preparing the apartment than he thought. He continued his visit and in the next bedroom, he understood his mistake.

That room-the master bedroom obviously- was twice the size than the other, but it wasn’t the most troubling. All Leo’s belongings were there, carefully placed at the same place Leo would probably have placed them on the right side of the room. There was no doubt about who was the other owner of that room. The left part of the room was filled with Don’s own stuff and seeing both their belongings and the framed picture of the family hanging on the walls, the leader felt a pit in his stomach. He knew it; Don was still in there and the old man had been right. Whatever his reasoning was, Donnie was preparing them a love nest above Casey’s bar. There was a skylight window above their bed and for a moment, Leo imagined how it would be nice to wake up warmed up by the sunbeam and the arms of his lover, their limb entwined and surrounded by his most precious belongings. He sniffed the air. His favorite incense had burned there around a hour ago, the aromatic spicy smell still impregnating the room. 

Eyes pricked at his eyes, seeing with how much care everything had been picked and placed for him to feel like home. How much he missed Donnie; but the leader pulled himself together quickly.

It could have been a cute thing, but the fact was Donnie went that far-the room was completely furnished-without even bothering for Leo’s consent. Even more, Donnie did it in secret. What if Don was saving money with that purpose on mind for years? It could have been out of love; it was still going behind the leader’s back. 

On the wall, something caught his attention; his katanas were there, put on a display in a shealth and with a racing heart, he seized them. How much he had missed the leathered hilt of his swords, he thought as he caressed them. He had to take them; who knows what will happen when he would confront the spirit and he blessed Karai’s idea of a vampire costume for him. The cloak was hiding the strapped sword on his back.

He quickly inspected the whole floor and seeing no life, he understood that the only possible place, if Don was in the building, was the basement. A shiver ran through him briefly. The last time he got a similar feeling was before facing the Shredder. This time was even worse, he decided. Never before the thought of what would happen if he failed brushed him. He never went into any fight with the thought he could possibly be defeated. Besides, death wasn’t something scaring him. But that time, what was on stake was going over his own life.

He couldn’t afford to fail; Donatello would be lost forever. And then, many people would suffer from the misdeed of that evil spirit and also, maybe their friends, and Mikey and Raph.

Leonardo felt a tingle in his hand and his eyes zeroed on him. Was there something wrong with his eyesight or was it due to the darkness, but in the middle of his palm, there was a dark spot, as big as a quarter. He studied it closer; it was his skin, the turtle leather, already showing out. He was there for about 45 minutes and it has been over two hours since the transformation. He still has a few in front of him perhaps, but far less than Chaplin told him. Now that the confrontation was close, it didn’t matter.

When he pushed open the door of the basement, the smell hit him full nose. It wasn’t the peculiar one from rotting dead bodies, but one more familiar: chemical, with a hint of something else. And it was hot, as hot as a furnace like that basement was a door to Hell, indeed.

Leonardo narrowed his eyes; around it was pitch black, but he could hear faint noises, despite the loud music from the bar above him. Leonardo was used to sneaking into dark space. The shadow was his comfort zone, but in a basement with no electricity and no window, it wasn’t the same level of dark he was used to. To turn on the light would give him away, but anyway, Mikey had told him Don was waiting for him. It was no use to hide and he switched the light open.

The room he was in looked like an average basement. There was two doors and his eyes landed on the sewer plate in a corner. Again, he surprised himself to dream of what it would have been if Casey got himself a normal bar. Mikey could have worked in the kitchen, even Raph as a bouncer if Casey would have kept that weird horror theme. With the music they could hear, they could even have transformed that room into a place to hang for them, living their youth.

Leonardo shook his head, drowning the temptation away: normality wasn’t for them.

And then, she was there; the uncanny woman apparition. She walked toward him, but that time, Leo stayed still, not frozen by shock, but attentive of what the ghost could tell him.

She opened her mouth, impossibly wide like she was silently screaming her lungs out and she stared at him so close, he could see himself in her eyes. They were like blackened mirrors, blurred as the water under a thin layer of ice, but Leo saw or rather, he felt.

Her whole last moments flashed in his mind. She had been drunk, he could feel the cheap whisky she consumed lingering on his own tongue. It was following her, but she knew it was. She didn’t mind, she had hoped to draw a few cents from him. But she had felt a sharp pain behind her head, a pavement brick, perhaps, but she was still alive as it started slicing her neck open…

The leader raised his hand to his own throat, almost expecting to see his hand drenched in gore. There was none and he was surprised; the impression had been so vivid, he thought it had really happened.

The ghost was still in front of him and she pointed to the door at his left and Leo nodded.

It was there, waiting for him from the other side of the door.

It must end, he thought, still feeling sick of the gruesome images he just saw. 

Boldly, he pushed open the door and froze on his track. 

On a wooden table, lighted up by a blazing fire from the fireplace, April was tied up and gagged, sweaty and disheveled. Her make up had leaked out long ago, smearing her face with dirty trails. She gazed at him, her eyes widened by terror. 

“April,” he mumbled, shocked. He hadn’t expected to see her there and even less in such a pitiful state. How long since she was there? “I won’t hurt you.” Right, she didn't recognize him. “It’s me,” he said.

The arm around his waist surprised him at the same time as the tongue sliding in the crook of his neck.

“Indeed, it’s you.” Donatello’s voice was a deep purr. “I was starting to get impatient.” Both arms were circling him, as strongly as they were metal chains. “How do you find our new places? Much better than the sewers, isn’t?”

  
“Why is April there? Why did you tie her up?”

Whatever happened, Leo didn’t want April to get caught in the blast radius.   
He scanned the room, searching at the same time any exit, weak point or possible weapons. It was a storage room and that’s all with only alcohol bottles on the shelves. On the table, there were many kinds of knives and as a swordsman, Leo could tell the purpose of every blade. Some were used to cut, to slice, to chunk and a chill ran through him as he spotted the saw.

To sawing bones, his mind murmured to him. The blazing fire was disintegrating the evidence. There was another door, at the bottom of the room. It was probably where Donnie rubberized his heads or, he did it in his lab, at the lair.

“I mean her presence as an offering of peace for you,” Don explained. It, Leo repeated, it. Donnie would never speak of April as she was an object. “You see, I caught up all my delayed work. I have no debt, anymore. This single head would assure a year of fortune at that bar and us.” He rocked Leo’s body in his arms, but the leader felt the threat in the hug. “Then, it will be one head by year and we will be happy.” Donatello took a sniff from his neck. “With all the thugs we chase and fight, you can sacrifice one, right? They are criminals, right? They were prostitutes, male or female, trying to seduce me for money and rejecting me when they saw I had none. Those are only scum. In fact, I serve society by getting rid of them.”

He kissed Leo’s temple and by how more possessive than loving it was, Leo knew it: it was Kemperson speaking, not Donnie. Sometimes before, it had been his brother speaking to him, but maybe with the more time he spent in that place, the more Kemperson took expansion in Donnie’s soul. What he needed was to get his real brother to speak. Then, he could address him maybe, get them to fight and separate.

“Free her. April is your friend, Don and…”

“I will cut her head off right in front of you,” Don hissed at his ear. “You were so jealous of her. You would be pleased right? You would believe me now when I told you I have no feelings of any sort for her. Redheads are the worst sluts, anyway.”

“You have feelings for her, Donnie. She is your friend. You like to talk with her in that science lingo you both get,” Leonardo pleaded. 

“Talking is cheap.” He nibbled Leo’s throat. “I prefer other sounds. Scream of fear, agony rattle, or pleasured moans, as you wish.”

Suddenly, he felt something clapping at his wrist and saw it was a handcuff, linked to a sturdy pipe. He was restrained and it was complicating the matter, but nothing he didn’t expect. After all, only one hand was restrained and he still had a very sharp blade strapped on his back.

“Watch me,” Don said, now stepping aside. Now, Leo could have a good view of him, his figure standing out in the fireplace light. His eyes were gleaming, and with a racing heart, Leo realized how much the possession had progressed into Don, like cancer while he was missing. Maybe he should not run away.”

“Black suits you and you are handsome under that shape. Too bad, I bet the transformation back into a turtle would be painful. It could spoil a little of my show,” he said, a smirk on his lips, as he lifted up a knife. “But I would skin her nicely, like the cow she is and use the skin to make us a lovely carpet.”

“Where is Casey?” Leo asked. How did Don could have trapped and held April captive without Casey noticing it. It was his bar, Don’s associate and even if they broke up, Leo was sure Casey was deeply in love with her. 

“Probably getting drunk trying to hit on some girls, that lazy, lousy, libertine lush,” Don sneered and Leo raised his head. This was Donnie. The real one. Go figures that speaking about April wouldn’t move Donnie but he despised enough Casey to react. 

“Don! I love you! But only you!” he exclaimed. “I don’t want the other side of you interfering between us. I’m jealous of him! Not April!” He raised his chin in a daring manner. “If you love me, you will get rid of him!”

In front of him, Don’s figure turned blurred.

“Leo,” Don said, uncertain but then a growling sound came from his chest and a sharp pain filled Leo. He looked down at himself, his whole body throbbing and trembling...He was turning back in turtle. It wasn’t that his appearance mattered anymore, but the pain was too much to handle. He had been able to bear it at the Foot tower because he was given a sedative, but now he had none and anyway, he needed his full focus. He knew that this whole idea of human transformation would turn out to be wrong. Now he was curling up in pain, having missed the opportunity to talk Donnie into kicking his roommate out.

“You don’t know what you are talking about.” Don returned to April. She was struggling against the rope on the table, making desperate gagging sounds. “You would be cured of your endless jealousy and I would make that offering so pretty, my Master would be more pleased. He loves the coppered heads the most.” Don was leaning over April, the blade next to her face. “Then, we will have a place to live and money to eat and buy what we need. With that useless human I will have only little work to do. We could have sex and love each other the whole day.”

It was the spirit talking again. Don never minded work and Leo guessed that even is sex was pleasant, there was no way a hard-worker as Don stays in bed the whole day. Being greedy about money wasn’t Don either. The obake specialist was right. That spirit hadn’t seen the time change since he died in 1966. Maybe even so, his soul was stuck at the peak of his criminal activity, during the Great Depression when having a roof, food and a loved one to share with was the best you can ask for. Before being a bar owner, that man must have led a very grim existence. He saw pictures; the man wasn’t attractive the slightest bit and maybe war made him lose his last screw. 

Did he know he was dead? 

“I don’t love you,” Leo snarled, despite the aching being so strong, he felt like losing his mind. How long would it take? “I love Donatello. I can’t be yours, because I’m his. I made a promise to him, not you. I will sleep in his bed, only if you aren’t there. Anyway, you are dead.”

“Lies,” Donatello snarled. “I had never felt more alive. When you will get my cock up your ass later you will understand what I mean.”

How did he believe it could have been Donnie being so crude? Yes, Leo had believed so. Master Splinter’s illness had been a heavy burden for Donnie and then, Leo’s depression had been. He had spoken more confidently, had been bolder. It could be the real Donatello had fantasized about topping his leader, but there was no way he would have made such a crude declaration than wanting to fuck him into the mattress.

How he missed his brother made him howl despite his whole body feeling like being in fire and in a flash of realization he drew out his sword to slash the handcuff. Despair washed over him as he realized he had been tricked. There were wooden swords, copies of his, and so he was restrained and disarmed. Even if he yelled, Mikey and Raph wouldn’t hear him and if he was almost sure Mikey would take his side, he had no idea for Raph.

Donatello let out his dark chuckles.

“So easy to fool. You just remind me I should cut her in pieces with your swords. They are so remarkable.” Longings were perceptible in the spirit’s voice. How a wicked being that one should have been when he was alive.

Handcuffs weren’t impossible to break, but the pain was taking all the place in his mind.

“Please father, help me,” he prayed mentally. “Give me the strength to save Donatello and April.”

“John Will Kemperson, I’m not yours…” Leo choked. His whole body was now back at a turtle except his head. “It's sad to say, but you missed the train…”

To be called by his real name shocked him, because Donnie paused his gesture at the moment he reached to draw the katanas out of the place he was hiding them. “You would never know love now, but if you gave peace to your victims, you may reach some…”

Suddenly a conversation he had with his Sensei before he died came back to Leo’s memory.

“Mourning and grieving are part of life. When the ache in our hearts dim, our memory of our loved ones is our most precious treasure. When you miss me, call my name and then, for a moment, you will feel me alive again. This is the magic of a name; it had a little in our soul in.”

“What was her name…”Leo wondered. “She had redhead and she was feeling mellow from the whiskey and happy. She was willing to give you a good time, and you may have gotten some, but you decided to kill her. You hit her from behind, and severed her head when she was still alive! Then, you dropped her body in the swamp! What was her name?” Leo bellowed with all his remaining forces. 

“She was a whore!”Donatello shouted, but then, the voice wasn’t Donatello. “She would have asked for money!”

“I’m sure she told you she had a name.” Leo insisted feeling he got something. “Tell me her names. Tell me all the names.”

“Molly!” he spat furiously and then, with a mix of shock and horror, Leo saw the woman apparition behind Donatello, a bottle in her hand. She was about to knock him down, but he needed Donnie safe!

“Don! I love you. Kick him out and stay with me!”

But the ghost threw the bottle in the fireplace and then, many others flew the same. 

“What? No!!!!” Don forgot April to rush at the door, bursting it open. From what he could see, that room was all red and with disgust, Leo thought he saw something like a pyramid of skulls.

The place was now filled with smoke and it was hard to breathe. With his gag, April was very likely to choke even sooner. 

“Don! Forget that bar, forget all of it. I want us to return to our real home! With you!”

His voice wasn’t loud enough and he had a coughing fit. He trashed on the ground as his body finished his transformation into a turtle.

Lacking oxygen, Leonardo felt unconscious at the moment a shadow leaned over him. he thought he heard his name being screamed.

*** 

When he woke up, he was in the lab with a breathing mask. He removed it, with a slight cough and looked around. Next to him was April lying with a mask too and...Donatello on the other cot. His brother had a few burn that had been cared for, and Leo tried to gather his memory. He remembered having challenged Kemperson, forcing him into telling him the woman’s ghost name. The invocation had been enough for the spirit to act and try to burn the place to the ground. But did she manage it?

And was Donnie being free from his guest?

“You are up? You see I can be a not too bad medic too.”

Mikey was grinning smugly.

“How…”

“The Foot gave us some medical stuff. I watched a very nice YouTube tutorial about it, and so, here we go!”

“What had happened?”Leo rubbed his head. “I was in the basement, and…”

“Someone pulled out the fire alarm when me, Raph and Casey were already in the basement,” Mikey started to explain, excited. “I told him about you being there and well...He believed Donnie at first despite his instinct, because he didn’t want to sound jealous. But the fact was he was worried as well.”

Leo nodded, understanding Raph’s reasoning but still unsure what to do about it. 

“Donnie was trying to drag you and April out of the room. He was…” Mikey sounded more emotional. “He said he loved you and to save you and not him. Since Titanic’s shipwreck, I don’t think they were more heartbreaking farewells.” Even if Mikey was trying to joke, Leo could feel it had made a deep impression on the youngest. “He was babbling about what to as cares for you and…he fainted from the smoke inhalation and we brought him here as well. I wasn't sure if it was...you know safe? But I was ready to believe so. He was so fussing over you despite being in a worse shape. Karai sent us a guy to check on Donnie. He said...it was gone.”

Leo snapped his head toward Donnie, hope in his gaze. Mikey followed his look and smiled warmly. 

“The whole place burned to the ground. I mean, how no one got burned beside Donnie is a miracle. Donnie had the good idea to make Casey subscribe to an assurance. So Casey would collect the insurance money without that crappy bar. Raph is so relieved. I bet April would be as well...and you.”

“There’s nothing left?” Leo asked to be sure. He felt he wouldn’t be able to breathe well again with that something remaining of the obnoxious. 

“Nothing. The firefighters told Casey they never saw such devastating fire, it was like Hell had swallowed it, he said.”

It wasn’t too far from the truth.

“Casey said he wanted to invest in something. Raph suggested a fighting club. They are still on the brainstorming stage.” Mikey grinned, obviously thrilled. “April is involved as well. They hook up again. Raph and I...we found a kind of understanding when you were gone and Don turned crazy. I...like him.”

A smile grace Leo’s features.

“So everything is fine?”

“Well...you did lose all your belongings in that fire. Don had moved all your stuff there...and now, it’s lost. We saved your katana, though. Don had them on him. I know you would have been upset if you have lost them.”

Even his beloved swords seemed like tissue paper for Leonardo now. Don stirred in his sleep and the leader smiled when he could decipher his name being muttered.

“What truly matters is still there. When there is still life, there's still hope.” Now that he knew it was gone, his feelings had never been as obvious. “When love is still alive, every day is a new beginning.”

  



End file.
